Mind Over Matter
by Ani-maniac494
Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies.  But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: Major spoilers for "Outcast," and the season one episode, "Childhood's End." A reference to "Critical Mass."

Disclaimer: They're not mine, and I promise I'll return them in good condition. Um…mostly.

A/N: This is my long-overdue fic for the help_japan auction. It was won by caitriona_3 in March, who has been *infinitely* patient and understanding. She asked for Rodney and Sheppard friendship and brotherhood, and that is the focus of the story, though a few other bunnies worked their way in there too. Originally, it was supposed to be a 5 to 7 page one-shot, but it mutated into a multi-chapter, and it wound up about, oh, nine times longer than what I'd originally promised, lol. It _is _already complete, though, and I'm hoping to post a chapter every few days. That might change when college starts up for me again next week, but I will let you know if that happens.

A/N2: Many, many thanks to my close friends, ladygris and Noelani618, for all of their wonderful feedback and encouragement, and their constant willingness to serve as sounding boards! And of course, an incredible thank you to Darth Mom, the best beta in the Star Wars galaxy or any other.

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his incredible grace, mercy and forgiveness. Without Him, I would be utterly lost.

I hope you enjoy it!

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><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 1

_The present…_

The metal restraints snapped closed with a loud _clang_, and Rodney swallowed hard, feeling the sharp edges of the cuffs dig into his wrists and ankles. Two other bands slid around his throat and forehead, holding him firmly in place. His heart hammered in his chest as he looked up at the machine looming above him.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" he managed.

"Yes," Amirelle admitted. "But it will be brief. Once your conscious mind is separated from your body, the pain will cease."

"You know," Rodney retorted, his voice cracking, "that really doesn't make me feel any better."

Amirelle didn't answer, just watched impassively as the machine lowered into position, stopping inches from Rodney's head.

Rodney shivered on the cold metal slab he was shackled to, feeling the chill even through his clothing, and tried to look around. He couldn't turn his head, but he could still see Sheppard out of the corner of his eye. He was on the floor, laying on his right side, his breaths coming in rapid, ragged gasps. His eyes were closed - he was probably unconscious.

Rodney just hoped it wasn't too late for the antidote to work, and that Amirelle would keep her word when he was…well, when this was over. He wasn't sure what he'd be able to do if she didn't, but he'd think of something. He wasn't going to let Sheppard die. Though, Rodney thought, a little annoyed, it would, of course, be just like Sheppard to go and die before anyone else could.

The machine whined suddenly, and Rodney swallowed again, his mouth and throat dry.

Then, he shut his eyes, and waited for the end to come.

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><p><em>Countdown: Ten hours earlier…<em>

Dr. Rodney McKay walked quickly down the corridor, his laptop tucked under one arm, a stack of notes in his other hand, and a pen held in between his teeth. He got a few curious looks from the people he passed in the hallway, but thankfully, they knew better than to get in his way.

He was, after all, in a hurry, and he didn't plan to stop for anything short of a planetary disaster, or the City's imminent destruction - which, alright, in the Pegasus galaxy, that was a distinct possibility. But, hopefully the next crisis could wait until after the daily briefing, a very important daily briefing, that he had exactly - Rodney glanced down at his watch - two minutes and fifteen seconds to get to. He quickened his pace, almost jogging the rest of the way, and strode through the door, taking his seat with just moments to spare.

Zelenka quirked an eyebrow at him across the table, but Rodney ignored the look, took his pen from his teeth, and set about organizing his notes. He still hadn't quite forgiven Zelenka for his refusal to be the one to take care of that malfunctioning Ancient device on M7G-677. The Czech had just muttered something about bratty little children, included a few, choice words in his native tongue that were probably best left un-translated, and walked out the door before Rodney could explain.

Considering how Zelenka had looked when he'd come back from his last visit to that particular planet, Rodney couldn't really blame him, but it still meant that he'd been stuck going in Radek's place while Ronon went with Sheppard to his dad's funeral. Zelenka had actually apologized once he'd found out about Sheppard's father, offering to lead the repair team anyway in spite of his…previous experience, but by then, it had been too late for Rodney to make the trip to Earth.

At least Rodney's visit to M7G-677 had turned out to be a productive one. The EM generator was repaired and once again working at full efficiency, and they'd come across something else, something that, if Rodney was right - and he usually was - might just give them an advantage over Michael, or just as important, lead to another ZedPM for Atlantis. Rodney and Zelenka had been going through the data the science team had collected, and were finally ready to present their findings.

Rodney glanced up just in time to see Sheppard stroll through the door. Sheppard offered a quick nod to each member of his team, then took his seat, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. Sam entered seconds behind him, smiling in greeting and moving to her own place at the table. She started the meeting with the usual status reports, but as the head of the science department, Rodney got almost hourly updates on everything that mattered, so he tuned those out and shuffled through his notes once more. Satisfied that everything was in order, he tapped his pen absently on the table, his gaze unconsciously drifting back to Sheppard.

Sheppard had gotten back from his week of bereavement leave ready to go back to work, but Sam had insisted he take a couple more days, considering that his leave had been interrupted by that replicator mess. Sheppard hadn't looked happy about it, but he'd given in without much protest. That had worried Rodney, because when Sheppard wasn't insisting he was fine, something was obviously wrong. Well, actually, something was usually wrong when he tried to say he was fine too - _"Me? Oh, I've been shot and I'm slowly bleeding out, but don't worry, I'm fine" _- but at least that was normal.

Now, though, Sheppard was officially back on duty, and he was just…quiet. And that _wasn't_ normal. Oh, sure, he'd still answer if somebody said something to him, still issued orders and fobbed extra paperwork off on Lorne, but he wasn't very likely to speak unless spoken to.

Rodney knew that he wasn't the only one who was worried, but when he'd brought it up, Teyla had just quietly suggested that they needed to give Sheppard time. Rodney had done that. He'd waited three days, and…nothing. So, he'd gone to Ronon, who, he'd figured, would at least be able to tell him what was going on.

"_His dad died," the Satedan said simply._

_Rodney gave him a flat look. "Well, thank you, Mr. Informative. I knew that already. What I mean is, haven't you noticed that Sheppard's acting a little…weird?"_

"_How else should he be acting?"_

"_I don't know! But something's not right. He's…he's quiet. Don't you think that's strange?"_

_Ronon just stared at him._

"_Right. Forgot who I was talking to." Rodney sighed impatiently. "Look, did anything happen on Earth? I mean, besides the funeral and the replicator thing?"_

"_He talked to his brother."_

_He'd talked to his brother? Huh. Well, there was no reason to think that would- _

_Rodney's thoughts came to a sudden, screeching halt. "Sheppard has a brother?"_

Rodney had, of course, plied Ronon for all the information he could after that, until the Satedan had finally gotten fed up and told him that if he wanted to know something, he should just ask Sheppard.

And, while, yes, that might have made a certain amount of sense, Rodney just couldn't do it, because…because crazy as it sounded, he felt like he shouldn't have had to ask in the first place. Sheppard, after all, was supposed to be his friend. And friends talked. They talked about things like work, and movies, and comics, and _Oh, yeah, my family's rich and I grew up on an estate the size of Texas…_

But Sheppard had never told him that. Sheppard had never told him that he had a brother, either.

"Rodney?"

Rodney blinked, mentally trying to backtrack, but, for all of his great multitasking skills, he came up blank. He straightened in his seat, trying to appear casual. "Sorry, what?"

Sam's lips quirked. "Your report?" she prompted.

"Oh. Right." Rodney cleared his throat, and quickly pulled up the info on his laptop, ignoring the amused looks he was getting.

"Well," he began, "as you all know, the Ancient device on M7G-677 started malfunctioning about a week and a half ago. The device had to be shut off for several hours, and repairs required some pretty extensive scans. While we were working, we picked up another energy reading. Really faint - barely distinguishable from background radiation. That probably explains why we've never detected it before. We managed to trace the source to some additional ruins about a mile south of the EM generator. They were hidden underground - whatever the Ancients were doing there, they didn't want the locals to find it." He turned his laptop around so that they could see the pictures his science team had taken of the ruins. "We think it was some kind of observation post."

Sam frowned. "An observation post? I thought that the Ancients stopped most of their anthropological research once the Wraith war began."

"As far as we know, they did, but the Ancients might have wanted to measure the effectiveness of the EM generator, and the, uh, population control measures they instituted there. The point is, the ruins are, well, in ruins, but the outpost's data storage device was about forty percent intact. We've only be able to retrieve a portion of the database, but we did find something that looks promising…" He hit a few commands on his keyboard, and Ancient symbols scrolled across the screen.

"Gate addresses," Sheppard supplied.

Rodney nodded. "Eight in total."

"Are these addresses to other planets where the Ancients kept devices like the one on M7G-677?" Teyla wondered.

"That's our theory," Zelenka interjected. "It may be that like, 677, these worlds have electromagnetic fields which also allow them to make use of the technology. But, unfortunately, the addresses were found in one of the more heavily damaged sections of the database. We're lucky that we were able to retrieve as much as we did. All of the information pertaining to the addresses was lost."

"We cross-referenced the list with gate addresses already in Atlantis's database," Rodney went on. "They're all listed for future exploration, but M7G-677 is the only planet we've sent a team to so far."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "I take it you're proposing that we move those worlds to top of the mission roster?"

"If these planets do posses similar devices," Teyla suggested, "then it's possible that the populations of those worlds, too, have been mostly untouched by the Wraith." She didn't say what everyone else was already thinking - that hopefully the populations of those other worlds hadn't been convinced to start committing suicide at twenty-four in a misguided attempt to protect their people. "As Atlantis has both the resources and the expertise to maintain such technology," Teyla continued, "they may be very willing to discuss an alliance."

"That's not all," Rodney added, unable to keep the edge of excitement from his voice. "Imagine what it would mean if we could get our hands on one of those devices. We couldn't use it on Atlantis, but if we could take it apart, we might be able to create our own. I mean, sure, we'd need to figure out the electromagnetic field issue, and find a sustainable power source, but if it we could, anybody we shared it with would be protected from most of the Wraith's technology, including what Michael has."

"Michael-proofing," Sheppard said. "Sounds good to me."

"Me too," Ronon agreed.

"The downside is, of course, that most of our technology wouldn't function in close proximity to those devices either, but even if we can't create our own generators, we should still see what these worlds have to offer. The EM generator on 677 uses a ZedPM as it's power source. If one of those worlds turns out to be unpopulated, and has a device with a still-functioning ZedPM-"

"Alright," Sam smiled and held up a hand, cutting Rodney off, "alright. You've convinced me." She turned to look at Sheppard. "Colonel, what's your team's next mission as the schedule stands?"

"P3X-515. We're supposed to negotiate a trade agreement with one of the local merchants this afternoon."

"Is there any reason that Lorne and his team can't handle the mission instead?"

Sheppard thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. "It shouldn't be a problem."

"Good." Sam looked back at Rodney. "Which planet would you recommend visiting first?"

"We should look at them all, eventually, but M7X-878 is the first planet on the list. It's as good a place to start as any."

Sam gave a nod. "M7X-878 it is. Get your gear together, and be in the gate room at 1300."

The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Jennifer had asked Sam to remind them that the infirmary would be closed for two hours, except in the case of medical emergencies, while she and her staff did inventory and restocked supplies from the Daedalus's latest shipment. They also discussed a mission proposal the Social Sciences division had made - Rodney rolled his eyes - and Zelenka brought up the need for some overdue jumper maintenance. But, with that, the daily briefing concluded, and Sam dismissed them.

Sam left first, heading for her office, and Zelenka followed soon after, telling Rodney that he'd handle the systems upgrade they had scheduled if the mission ran overtime. Rodney waved a hand in acknowledgement, then stood, and gathered up his laptop and notes. He had a few hours left before they had to leave and he wanted to see if he could pull anymore data off of that device.

He glanced up to find Ronon and Teyla still in the room, talking quietly.

Sheppard, though, had left without a word.

Rodney frowned, and started for his lab.

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: The next part should be up in a few days.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, major spoilers for "Outcast," and the season one episode, "Childhood's End."

Disclaimer: It's not mine, but can I keep Sheppard anyway? Please? *looks hopeful*

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter, and put this story on alert. :) And thank you especially to everyone who reviewed!

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the source of all inspiration.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

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><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 2

_Countdown: Seven hours earlier…_

Rodney had spent an hour trying to see if he could retrieve any other salvageable information from the database. His efforts hadn't turned up anything useful, unfortunately, and he'd had to devote the rest of his morning to a bizarre incident involving two of his scientists. He had much better things to do with his time than finding out if being covered in potentially hazardous slime qualified as a medical emergency, thank you.

At 1200, he'd gladly handed the two embarrassed scientists over to Zelenka, grabbed lunch in the mess hall, and made his way to the locker room to get geared up.

Fifteen minutes later, he, Ronon, Sheppard, and Lieutenant Edison, the Marine who'd been chosen to take Teyla's place on the mission, were standing in the gate room, waiting for the gate to dial. Teyla was standing on the gate room floor with them, wanting to see them off. It was still strange to go on missions without her, but Rodney knew it was too dangerous while she was pregnant.

Rodney stole a glance at Sheppard, and scowled a little. Sheppard was his usual laid-back self on the outside, but he'd barely said three sentences the whole time they'd been getting prepped. Rodney had caught Ronon and Teyla sharing a concerned look and resisted the urge to say, "I told you so." But, Sheppard either didn't notice their worry, or he was pretending not to.

The last chevron engaged, and the gate sprang to life. The MALP rolled forward, and disappeared into the gate.

It took a moment for the telemetry to come through, but soon, Chuck was calling out the all-clear: "Atmosphere appears breathable. No toxins detected, and radiation levels are acceptable. I'm not detecting any life signs around the gate, either."

Rodney glanced up just in time to see Sam nod on the balcony. "Alright, you have a go."

Sheppard turned around to give Sam a casual, two-fingered salute in acknowledgement, and walked through the event horizon.

Edison and Ronon went next, and Rodney followed behind them.

He froze as soon as he reached the other side.

Most stargates in Pegasus were in the middle of nowhere - an extra defense against the Wraith. This one seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, too, but the grass around it was neatly trimmed, and rows of carefully tended plants outlined a path leading from the gate.

"Well," Sheppard said, his eyes scanning the terrain, "this is different."

The sky was a bright, crystal blue. Green, rolling hills that all seemed to be covered in that same, neatly trimmed grass, reached as far as the eye could see. It was like walking into a giant park that was cared for by a bunch of paranoid, overworked gardeners.

Rodney just hoped he wasn't allergic.

He stuck a hand into his vest and pulled out the life signs detector. A number of small dots appeared. "I'm picking up a cluster of life signs that way," he said, pointing down the path.

Sheppard nodded. "Okay. Let's go introduce ourselves to the locals. Hopefully they're friendly."

Sheppard reached into a pocket, took out his sunglasses, and slipped them over his eyes before taking point. Rodney and Edison moved behind him, and Ronon brought up their six.

Rodney kept one eye on the life signs detector and one eye on the landscape as they walked. The flowerbeds seemed to run the entire length of the path, and almost every plant was blooming and healthy-looking, the colors alternating in a clear pattern: pink, yellow, blue, purple…pink, yellow blue, purple… Not a single flower out of place. They even seemed to be the same _size. _The path itself was paved with a pale, gray stone, and it was practically spotless, like somebody had been really enthusiastic about sweeping.

Everything was perfect. A little _too_ perfect.

"Am I the only one who thinks this place is creepy?" Rodney asked.

"It's…weird, sir," Edison agreed.

"I don't like it. No trees. Not enough cover." Ronon, of course.

Sheppard - apparently - didn't have a comment to make.

"At least, if this is any indication, they seem to be a pretty advanced civilization," Rodney muttered, trying to fill the silence. "An advanced civilization with a subscription to _Obsessed Gardeners Monthly_, and way too much time on their hands, but advanced nonetheless."

They hiked for a few more minutes, and Rodney spent most of that time scanning for energy readings. If this world did have an EM generator like M7G-677 did, then he should be able to detect it. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything to look at. Hills, grass, flowers. More hills. More grass. More flowers.

That was probably why he almost walked into Sheppard when he stopped.

"What-" Rodney started. He blinked. "Oh."

They were standing in front of what Rodney assumed was some kind of guard station - really, it was the group of armed men surrounding it that gave it away. There was a tense moment as the two groups assessed each other. But, no one was attacking yet, so Rodney took that as a good sign.

One of the men walked forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon, his other hand raised in what Rodney was coming to recognize as the universal signal for "I won't shoot if you won't."

Sheppard saw it too, and slowly lowered his P-90, nodding tentatively in greeting.

The man nodded back. "I am Jaris Marson, Perfect Varrin's Chief of Security."

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, and this is Dr. Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, and Lieutenant Ryan Edison."

"How is that you come to visit us?" Jaris asked. "Few know of our people's existence, and fewer still know how to reach our world." He didn't sound accusing, but there was a definite edge to his voice.

"We found the address on a world belonging to one of our allies," Sheppard explained, obviously not wanting to reveal too much right away. "They have a device the Ancestors made that…interferes with Wraith technology. We're interested in finding out more about it, and we were kinda hoping you would have something similar. But, either way, we're always looking for new allies or trading partners."

Jaris studied Sheppard for a long moment, his gaze sharp. He reminded Rodney of Bates, the no-nonsense Marine who'd been their own security officer during the first year of the expedition. He had the same dark hair and dark eyes, and that same "don't mess with me" vibe.

Finally, apparently satisfied with whatever he'd seen, Jaris nodded again. "Very well. I will inform the Perfect that you seek an audience. Follow us, please."

Even with the "please" tacked on, his request had sounded more like an order, and unsurprisingly, Jaris didn't wait for them to respond, just turned and started down the path, his men silently taking up positions around the Atlantis team. Rodney saw Ronon bristle, and Sheppard must have seen it too. "Easy," he murmured lowly. "We came here uninvited. For all we know, they're just being cautious."

In spite of his words, Sheppard's own hand stayed close to the trigger of his P-90.

It took them another fifteen minutes to reach the city - it could only be called a city; the term "village" just didn't fit - though it certainly didn't resemble any cities on Earth either. A massive stone wall rose up around it, like a medieval castle, and those same pink, yellow, blue, and purple flowers spread out from the path to wrap around the base of the wall, flowing seamlessly from one corner to the next. The path itself widened as it came to a large, intricate metal gate, that swung open silently as they approached.

As soon as they stepped inside, the scanner lit up.

"I'm picking up an-" The screen flickered and went dark. "-energy reading," Rodney finished. "Or at least I was."

"An EM field?" Sheppard asked.

"It only registered for a couple seconds before the scanner stopped functioning, but that would be my guess." Rodney huffed in annoyance and stuck the device back in his vest. "We know that the EM generators only function over a limited distance - though I don't know why I didn't pick it up before now." He eyed the wall around the city speculatively. "Unless…" he trailed off. Maybe they had some way to mask the field from scanners until you were right on top of it? That would definitely be worth looking into.

Jaris and his men led them through the center of town, through what seemed to be the main street. They passed several people along the way, many of whom gave them curious looks, then quickly went back to whatever it was they'd been doing. They had one thing in common, though: they were all busy. Some were gardening - go figure - and some were sweeping - big surprise there, too - and everyone else was walking around like they had somewhere important to be.

Around them, the buildings filling the city seemed to all be made from some kind of brick, but the colors from the flowerbeds - thankfully a little more varied than the ones outside - kept it from being too drab. The streets themselves, though, were almost spotless, and they were flat as well, Rodney realized - with absolutely no hills or changes in incline, and they were all set at exact right angles from one another.

Like the world outside, everything was just a little too perfect, a little too controlled.

Finally, they came to the end of the main street, where a mansion stood, looking large and imposing, a sizeable garden surrounding it.

"The Perfect's residence," Jaris said formally. He led them up a long, stone walkway until they reached an ornate entryway. Two other guards met them there, and the team was quickly ushered inside.

Rodney wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but he had to admit, the house - what he could see of it, anyway - was impressive. The main hall was huge, and the floor was made from some kind of green marble, reflective enough that Rodney could see himself in it. White pillars lined each side of the corridor, and tapestries decorated the walls between them.

"Wait here," Jaris told them before striding down the corridor.

For the moment, they were left alone - or as alone as they could be with guards twenty feet away, flanking either side of the door.

"They've sure got…expensive tastes," Sheppard commented, slipping off his sun glasses and tucking them back in his vest as he looked around.

"Yeah, well, you would know," Rodney muttered under his breath.

Sheppard hadn't heard him, but Ronon obviously had and gave him a look which Rodney ignored by folding his arms and pretending to be studying the décor.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for Jaris to return.

"The Perfect has agreed to see you. But you must leave your weapons here, with my men."

Ronon scowled at the ultimatum, and Edison shifted uncomfortably. Rodney didn't blame them. To be honest, he was hoping that Sheppard would say no. He preferred to have a weapon when the friendly natives turned out to be not-so-friendly, like they usually did. But, Rodney had worked with the military long enough to know that the "request" wasn't totally unreasonable. Visitors to Atlantis were always asked to relinquish their weapons as soon as they stepped through the gate.

After a moment of hesitation, Sheppard finally nodded, and unhooked his P-90 from his vest, handing it to the nearest guard before reaching for his 9mm too. Edison followed suit, and so did Rodney, but Ronon looked more reluctant about giving up his blaster.

"It probably won't work here, anyway," Rodney reminded him, thinking of the EM field. Projectile weapons were primitive enough that the EM field didn't effect them, but since Ronon's blaster used some sort of energy - Rodney wasn't sure what kind because Ronon refused to let him take a look at it - it probably wouldn't work any better than the life signs detector did.

Ronon gave an annoyed grunt, and grudgingly handed the weapon over.

"This way," Jaris told them. He motioned for them to follow, then spun crisply on his heel.

They walked down the ornate hallway and through a set of large, double doors, and into an even larger room. The same, green marble decorated the floor, and intricate mosaics covered the walls in a sea of blue and green. The color scheme reminded him a little of Atlantis. A window took up almost all of one side of the room. Elegant, white silk drapes surrounded it, and the view of the city it provided.

A regal-looking, middle-aged woman stood in the middle of the room, waiting for them, her dark hair pulled up into an elaborate style. The long dress she wore was a dark purple, and looked like it was made from some kind of satin. A thick, silver necklace, hung around her neck, and silver earrings framed her face.

"Perfect Varrin," Jaris addressed her, "May I present Colonel Sheppard and his men. Colonel Sheppard," Jaris continued, "This is Perfect Inara Varrin."

Rodney scoffed mentally. And people accused _him_ of having an ego.

"Thank you, Chief Marson," Inara responded, giving Jaris a nod. Jaris bowed, then silently took his place next to the Perfect, obviously acting as a bodyguard.

Inara turned to look at Sheppard. "On behalf of my people, I formally welcome you to Itharia. Now, I have heard that you wish to discuss an alliance?"

"Yes, we would," Sheppard answered. He paused, obviously trying to figure out where to start. "How much did your Chief of Security tell you?" he asked at last, glancing at Jaris.

"He mentioned that you are in search of a device that effects Wraith technology."

"Yeah, about that…we were really hoping that you had one, or maybe something similar. It's not necessary for an alliance, but we'd really like to learn more about it."

Inara smiled. "We do possess such a device, Colonel, though I'm afraid that I won't feel comfortable revealing any further details until we are better acquainted."

"That's understandable," Sheppard allowed easily.

"If you wish, I could give you a tour of my residence. It would allow us the chance to get to know one another. Then, perhaps we can discuss an alliance and answer any other questions over the mid-day meal."

Sheppard nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Excellent!" Inara clapped her hands together cheerfully, her smile growing. "Let us begin with the library…"

Apparently, when the Perfect offered you a tour, she wasn't kidding. Over then next two hours, she led them through the entire house…the very large, three story house…top to bottom. She showed them the library - with its incredibly extensive collection of reading material - the garden - it bloomed year-around and boasted several hundred varieties of flowers - the dining hall - it looked large enough to comfortably fit all of Atlantis's three-hundred personnel - the sitting room - with chairs plush enough to swallow a man Ronon's size - the homeworld art gallery - it had paintings from all the finest local artists - and the off-world art gallery - an Athosian ceremonial rug was its centerpiece…it just never stopped.

Sheppard had plastered on a polite expression and settled for nodding every few minutes. Ronon wasn't even pretending to care. Edison had looked vaguely interested for the first half-hour or so, but now he just looked like a bored Marine.

"…spared no expense," Inara was saying, as she led them through the garage. Cars, or this world's version of cars, anyway - were lined up, row after row, end to end. Rodney could almost pretend that it was a showroom on Earth, except that the cars had three wheels, and they'd all belonged to Inara's husband. Of course, it was the largest collection on the planet. Rodney rolled his eyes.

Both of Rodney's parents had been scientists who'd made a respectable living, so they'd never been poor, but they'd never been rich, either. Rodney had grown up in a middle-class neighborhood where having two cars was the epitome of luxury.

What about Sheppard? Did he have a car collection stashed away somewhere?

"And this," Inara continued, pointing at an especially sleek model, "Was my husband's favorite. He had it specially designed for our trips to our resort in the mountains. Have you ever seen anything like it?"

Maybe it was the ridiculously long tour. Maybe he was tired of listening to Inara brag. Maybe it was the fact that Rodney was still mad at Sheppard for never telling him that his family had something in common with the Rockefellers. But, for whatever reason, he just blurted it out.

"Ask Sheppard," Rodney huffed, crossing his arms. "His family is rich."

Sheppard immediately stiffened, his expression a mix of surprise and discomfort. Edison, though, perked up, looking more lively than he had in the last hour.

"Really, sir?" he asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter, Lieutenant," Sheppard answered tightly.

The Marine nodded obediently, schooling his features at Sheppard's tone, but Perfect Varrin wasn't so easily swayed.

"You _must _tell me more!" she insisted, delighted.

"There's really not much to tell."

"Oh, a humble man! How charming!" She looped her arm through Sheppard's like they were old friends. "Come. It's almost time for the mid-day meal. We'll discuss the alliance, and your family's holdings."

Sheppard shot Rodney a dark glare that promised they'd be _discussing_ this little incident later, and allowed the Perfect to start dragging him down the hall towards the dining area.

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><p>The mid-day meal was terrific.<p>

The food was wonderful, better than just about anything Rodney had had in Pegasus to date, and he'd learned more about Sheppard's family in the last half an hour than he had in all the years he'd known him.

The Sheppards apparently had a beach house in Malibu - _Malibu -_ a cabin in the Rockies, a mansion up in Maine, plus the Ranch that Ronon had seen…

Rodney was eagerly listening to all the details, and he didn't felt guilty at all. Nope. Not at all.

Really.

Well…okay, maybe just a little.

Alright…a lot.

Fine, so he felt like the scum of the Earth. Well-fed scum, yes, but still…scum. Rodney sighed and picked at the remains of the food on his plate. Good as it was, he just wasn't very hungry. He wanted to say that it was because he'd already had lunch back on Atlantis, but he knew that wasn't it.

Sheppard was still talking, answering all of Perfect Inara's incessant questions in a resigned tone. Given that Sheppard's dad had just died, his family was probably the last thing he wanted to talk about now.

Was there something lower than scum?

Even worse, Rodney knew Sheppard was only answering the Perfect's questions because of the EM generator. Inara had said that her people had one. Keeping her happy meant that she'd be more likely to share any information they had on it.

And she certainly seemed happy now.

"Your family estate sounds spectacular!"

Sheppard gave a strained, insincere smile in return, and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, that's enough about me, right? You said we could discuss an alliance…?"

The hopeful edge in Sheppard's voice was impossible to miss.

"Of course," Inara nodded. Suddenly much more business-like, the Perfect leaned back in her seat and studied them with shrewd eyes. She was silent for a long moment. "I do believe that an alliance between our two people would be beneficial," she said at last. "But you must understand, Colonel, that only our most trusted allies know how to reach our world. Your arrival here is somewhat unprecedented, but nonetheless, we expect that any information about our homeworld will remain…strictly confidential."

"That won't be a problem," Sheppard assured. "We won't share the address or discuss your people with anyone else, unless we have your permission."

"Excellent. Now, I'm aware that you have many questions. What is it you wish to know?"

"Well, about that…anti-Wraith device," Sheppard prompted carefully. "You said you have one?"

Inara inclined her head. "Indeed, we do, Colonel. It is the reason our people are so prosperous. We are thankful that the Ancestors felt we were advanced enough to be entrusted with such technology."

Rodney hated to burst their bubble, but advancement probably had nothing to do with it. The kids on M7G-677 weren't exactly on the cutting edge…Rodney stopped suddenly. "Wait a minute. You mean you always knew what it was? You never thought you had to perform any…rituals or something, to get it to work?"

The look the Perfect gave him told him just what she thought of that particular question. "Of course not, Dr. McKay."

"So, the uh…Ancestors actually told you what it would do?" That would certainly be a first.

"Yes, they did." Perfect Varrin lifted her chin. "You see, generations ago, our people were nearly wiped out by the Wraith. Our cities were destroyed, and the few remaining survivors were scattered. Our world was in chaos. But, when the Ancestors came, and brought the device with them, our people began to rebuild. When the Ancestors left once more, they entrusted us with a great deal of information about the device's purpose and use. The-"

"They left information?" Rodney demanded immediately, interrupting her. "How? Oral tradition? A database? Are there technical specs, or-"

"_Rodney_." Sheppard's warning cut his excited questioning short.

"Uh, right." Rodney grimaced. "Sorry. You were saying?"

Perfect Varrin arched an elegant eyebrow at him, clearly not amused, but thankfully, she continued. "The brightest minds among our people immediately began studying the device, and we have continued to do so for generations." She gave Rodney a pointed look. "We have kept very detailed written records, Dr. McKay. Those records, and the data the Ancestors entrusted to us, are stored in our archives."

Rodney's mind immediately started racing with the possibilities. The only chance they'd had to really study the device on M7G-677 was when it was malfunctioning, and that hadn't left them much time since they'd always needed to get it back online as soon as possible, and, once online, their equipment was essentially reduced to a collection of very expensive paperweights. What they really needed was the chance to study the device in-depth, and if the Perfect was telling the truth about them having studied the device for generations, it could mean a veritable treasure-trove for Atlantis.

Sheppard was obviously thinking the same thing. "Would it be possible for us to get access to your archives, and talk to any experts you have? I'm sure we can think of something to trade in exchange. I'll need to get final approval from my superiors on any agreements we make, but we can talk about your terms."

Inara considered that for a moment. "I believe that could be arranged, but I will need to speak with the High Council first. The archives are considered to be the property of all Itharians, and any such requests must be put to a vote." She paused. "If you are willing to wait, I can ask the Council to assemble within the hour. That way you could have a formal proposal to present when you return to your world."

Sheppard nodded. "We'd appreciate that. If you don't mind, we need to head back to the stargate - the Ring of the Ancestors - to check-in with our people, and update them on the situation."

"That will be acceptable, Colonel," the Perfect returned. She smiled and bowed her head formally. "I will see you again in one hour."

Jaris stepped forward as soon as the Perfect stood. The Security officer had shadowed them during the tour, then taken up position inside the dining hall for the mid-day meal. "Should I send my men to escort them to the Ring and back, Perfect?" he asked.

The Perfect shook her head. "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I'm sure our guests can find their way alone."

The Chief of Security didn't look happy, but he obediently moved aside, watching as Sheppard stood up as well and started for the exit, his team following behind him. They walked back through the marble-floored hallways and to the main entrance, where the waiting guards returned the weapons they'd surrendered earlier, and smoothly opened the doors to the garden.

Sheppard rounded on Rodney the minute they were outside and alone. "What was that back there?" he demanded. His whole body was tense, his eyes dark, all traces of the usually laid-back fly-boy gone.

Rodney had been about to start elaborating on just how much he could accomplish if the Perfect turned out to be telling the truth about those archives, but the words died on his tongue.

Sheppard was still angry about earlier. Obviously.

Alright, fine. Yes, he shouldn't have told almost total strangers about Sheppard's family being rich, and okay, yes, he still felt guilty about it. But, if Sheppard had just told him about being rich in the first place, Rodney wouldn't have been annoyed enough to blurt it out - so really, it was all Sheppard's fault anyway.

Rodney folded his arms across his chest, refusing to give in. "What was what?"

For a second, Sheppard looked ready to deck him. "Is there a reason you thought it was a good idea to give personal intel to someone we just met?" he ground out.

Rodney considered telling Sheppard his thoughts from a minute ago, but decided against it. The man had no appreciation for higher reasoning. "Well, it's not like the fact that your family's rich is a State secret," he said instead. "Oh, that's right, I forgot. Apparently, it is."

Sheppard frowned, confusion flitting over his features. "What…?" he started, "How do you even…?" He cut himself off, closing his eyes briefly, and deliberately drawing a deep breath. "You know what? Never mind. We'll talk about this later."

Sheppard turned and stalked off towards the garden gate. There was a moment of awkward silence as Rodney was left with Ronon - who'd been absolutely no help whatsoever, Rodney thought, annoyed - and Edison, who was busy trying to look like he hadn't heard every word when he so obviously had.

Ronon, though, was staring at him.

"What?" Rodney demanded finally.

The Satedan just shook his head, rolling his eyes a little, and moved to follow Sheppard.

Rodney glared at his back as he started after him.

That was the last thing he remembered before he heard a warning shout from Edison, and the world disappeared in a flash of light.

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: Again, the next part should be up in a few days.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, some references to the "Rising, Part 1," "Before I Sleep," "Aurora," "Epiphany," "Echoes," and "Miller's Crossing."

Disclaimer: I'm definitely keeping Sheppard, but don't worry, I sent back a clone.

A/N: Again, thank you to everyone who's put this fic on alert, or most especially reviewed. :)

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for His incredible goodness.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 3

_Countdown: Four hours earlier…_

Rodney groaned.

Everything was numb, his head felt oddly heavy, and he was dizzy.

It got worse when he opened his eyes.

Rodney winced, and quickly shut them again, wanting to go back to that nice, black nothingness from before. He would have been perfectly happy to do just that, too, except someone apparently wanted him to be awake to enjoy the misery.

"Rodney! Oh, no, you don't. Come on, Rodney. Open your eyes again."

"Don't want to," Rodney muttered.

"Too bad."

A hand shook his shoulder, and Rodney's eyes finally fluttered open once more. He glared at Sheppard when his friend's face swam into view.

"You okay?" Sheppard asked.

Rodney's glare intensified. "Do I look okay?" he demanded, grimacing. "What happened?"

Sheppard shrugged. "We were jumped, but I didn't see who it was. I got stunned not long after you did. Can you sit up?"

"No."

"Good," Sheppard said, like Rodney's answer had been completely different. "On three. One. Two…"

The world tilted dangerously as Sheppard hooked an arm underneath him and pulled him into a sitting position. Rodney had to take a deep breath, trying to swallow back a sudden wave of nausea as Sheppard helped him lean against a nearby wall. When his stomach settled down, and the dizziness faded a little, Rodney finally managed to look around.

They were in some kind of cell - small, square, and white, with a ribbed ceiling, and a door taking up most of one side, a small window at the top. The overall design looked vaguely familiar, but they had more important things to worry about now, so he filed that observation away to think about later.

He and Sheppard were both still wearing their TAC vests, but Rodney could already tell that the pockets of his vest had been emptied - the vest felt a lot lighter than it should have. Sheppard's was probably the same way.

"Ronon and Edison?" Rodney asked.

Sheppard shook his head, concern flickering over his features. "Don't know. I haven't seen anyone else since I woke up."

"How long ago was that?"

"Twenty minutes, maybe."

Rodney glared a little more, because really, why was he usually the last one to wake up? He'd been stunned just as much as everyone else. Shouldn't he have built-up a tolerance for it or something?

He had opened his mouth to voice his complaints aloud, when the sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere outside. Sheppard immediately turned around to face the door, and Rodney tried to ignore the vertigo as he pushed himself to his feet, his hand automatically reaching for the 9mm that should have been at his side. Of course, his fingers found an empty holster instead.

The door opened a moment later, sliding neatly into the wall.

Rodney blinked.

He'd seen a lot in Pegasus. Life-sucking aliens. Time dilation fields. Headache-inducing whales. An annoying, alternate version of himself. But, somehow, it was still a surprise to see four droids standing in front of him. Well, they were robots, technically, but they looked so much like something out of a Star Wars movie that it was hard not to think of them as droids. They were tall and bipedal, with slender, almost tube-like bodies, and cylinder-shaped heads. There was a narrow slit where their eyes should be, but otherwise they were mostly featureless.

And they were all heavily armed.

One of the robots pointed at Rodney. "You, come," it ordered in a metallic monotone.

"Me?" he sputtered, surprised. "Why should I go with you?" He swallowed hard as all four robots moved to aim their weapons directly at him, the threat obvious. "Uh, right. I'll just…follow you."

He started for the door, all too aware of the way the guns were tracking his progress.

"You, stay."

They _really _needed to make up their minds, Rodney thought, irritated, until he realized that they were now pointing their weapons at Sheppard, who'd moved to follow him out of the cell.

"I'm his commanding officer," Sheppard tried to argue, which wasn't strictly true - Rodney was a Canadian _civilian_, thank you, a very valuable civilian - but he figured the droids didn't need to know that. "Whoever your boss is," Sheppard continued, "they'll probably want to talk to me."

It was a good point, but apparently, not good enough.

"You, stay," the droid repeated. The sounds of their weapons charging punctuated the order.

Sheppard looked frustrated, but stayed where he was as Rodney stepped out into the corridor. Sheppard gave a nod that was probably supposed to be encouraging before the door slid shut once again, and Rodney was left alone with the droids.

"Move," the droid commanded.

Rodney grimaced, but did as he was told, trying to ignore the still-present vertigo. He forced himself not to react as two of the droids took up position behind him.

The walk down the corridor was silent, the hallway empty. Like the cell, it was mostly white and utilitarian, with an occasional patch of gray to mark a doorway. It was at one of these doors that the droids stopped a few minutes later.

It slid opened immediately.

"Enter," the droid told him.

Rodney thought about refusing, but he really didn't want to find out how tolerant the droids would be, so he drew a deep breath and stepped inside, flinching a little when the door quickly closed behind him. He glanced around, half expecting to find himself in another cell. But, this room, surprisingly, looked more like an office.

A desk sat along one wall, a shelf next to that. Both were empty, but like the cell, the design was familiar somehow.

Rodney frowned, trying to place it, hoping it might tell him who was holding them now. The Itharians were more advanced than most of the people they'd encountered in Pegasus, but he didn't think they were advanced enough to build droids. The Wraith were out, too - their tastes ran organic, dark, and creepy. Besides, he vaguely remembered that the beam he'd been hit with this time had been green - chartreuse, really - and that was most definitely the wrong color for Wraith. He'd learned to appreciate that particular shade of blue in the 0.2 seconds he usually had to contemplate the fact that he was about to be stunned. Again.

"Dr. McKay."

Rodney jumped, and spun around.

A woman was standing behind him, dressed in a long, flowing, teal gown that clung to her curves in a way Rodney would have noticed if he hadn't been so busy trying to figure out how she'd gotten into the room in the first place. He'd never heard the door open again, and she certainly hadn't been there to begin with. Sure, Sheppard had repeatedly tried to drill him on being more aware of his surroundings - which, hello, he was usually too busy saving them all to pay attention to trivial details - but even he wasn't that oblivious.

The woman inclined her head, long, light blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder as she did so. "I apologize for startling you."

Rodney straightened up a little, and cleared his throat. "You didn't startle me," he refuted.

Her eyes - the same color as her dress, Rodney realized - took on an amused glint.

"Of course not," she allowed.

Annoyed, Rodney crossed his arms and glared. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am Amirelle."

"Uh-huh," Rodney said. "And that tells me absolutely nothing."

The woman looked even more amused now, her full lips curving into a smile. That sent Rodney's annoyance up another notch, because he didn't find this situation amusing at all. He and Sheppard had been _kidnapped_, they had no idea where Ronon and Edison were, and -

"I am a scientist, like you. I have spent many years searching for someone with an exceptional mind - like yours."

- and well, even if she had technically kidnapped them, she couldn't be all bad, right?

"Oh." Rodney cleared his throat and uncrossed his arms. "Well, if you're looking for intelligence, I'm certainly the one you want, but that doesn't explain why you brought me here."

"That is a very long story, Dr. McKay."

"Apparently, I've got time," he retorted.

Amirelle smiled again, though the expression took on a frostier edge. "I am from the race that the many of people of this galaxy call 'the Ancestors.'"

Rodney blinked. "You're an Ancient?"

"An Ancient." Amirelle considered the name. "An apt description, I suppose. Yes, I am one of them. I came to this world shortly before my people returned to Earth."

"You look awfully good for your age, then," Rodney huffed, disbelieving. He paused. "Unless…you're ascended?"

It wouldn't be the first time they'd run into an ascended Ancient - though they always seemed to prefer Sheppard - but Amirelle scoffed.

"Ascension is a fool's errand. What use is a higher state if you cannot enjoy it?" She studied him for a long moment. "You know a great deal about my people, Dr. McKay. And you were carrying our technology with you when my androids brought you here. How did you come to learn so much about us?"

"My, uh, people, study what you left behind," Rodney answered, being purposefully vague. If Amirelle couldn't guess where they were from, then he wasn't going to tell her.

"Your race must be very advanced," Amirelle commented thoughtfully. "But, how have you escaped destruction by the Wraith?"

"We have an EM generator - like the one they have here."

The lie came easily, but Amirelle's eyes narrowed.

"Your Colonel told the Perfect that you found the device on another world."

"Well," Rodney started, ready to make another excuse, "we…" He scowled suddenly. "Wait. How do you know about that? And how do you know my name? Is the Perfect working with you?"

Amirelle shook her head. "No. The Itharians are not aware of my presence here. But, I observe the dealings of this world very carefully. It was, after all, why I was originally assigned to this planet."

Rodney frowned, but then his expression cleared in realization. "You were one of the Ancients Perfect Varrin told us about - the ones that brought the EM generator."

Amirelle nodded. "Yes, I was. When the war with the Wraith forced us to retreat to Atlantis, the more…altruistic among us began searching for a way to safe-guard the human worlds. The 'EM generator' as you call it, was one such effort. We maintained a small outpost on each world to observe the impact on the culture, and determine the effectiveness of various social policies."

Social policies? Is that what they'd called convincing people on M7G-677 to commit suicide at age twenty-four? Though, that explained why the Ancient's approach with the Itharians had been so different. They'd been trying to figure out which was better: full-disclosure or voluntary suicide for the "greater good." _Huh, what a tough choice_, Rodney thought, rolling his eyes. Still, he was tempted to ask more - it wasn't every day he got to question an actual Ancient, after all, but…

"Fascinating as that is, you still haven't told me what I'm doing here."

Amirelle lifted her chin. "I did not accept an assignment to this world because I enjoy anthropology, Dr. McKay. My preferred field is computer science. Specifically, I worked to improve personal interaction with the mainframe - as you may be aware, controlling the technology my people created is dependent on both a physical and a mental component."

Rodney nodded, and she continued.

"It was the mental component that interested me. As my work progressed, I began to realize how much we were limiting ourselves. We had succeeded in controlling our ships and our weapons with a thought, even creating entire virtual worlds. The possibilities were endless! The only thing holding us back were our physical bodies. If we could be rid of them, nothing could stop us."

Rodney gave her an incredulous look. She couldn't actually be serious…could she?

"Don't be so shocked, Dr. McKay," Amirelle chided, catching his expression. "Those on the path to Ascension had an identical goal. But why take such a burdensome route when all we needed was already at our fingertips? I began researching a way to transfer the conscious mind to a computer - apart from the body."

Rodney blinked again. She really _was_ serious.

"The ruling Council, however, did not approve of my work. An abomination, they called it. Unfeasible. Inadvisable. They forbade me from doing any further research!"

"Like Janus," Rodney interjected, thinking of the Ancient scientist's time-travel project.

"Janus," Amirelle snarled, eyes blazing. "Janus was a fool like the rest of them! I thought he would understand, but he agreed with the Council!"

Rodney winced at her anger. "So…you came here to carry on your work?" he prompted carefully.

"Yes," she spat, "I hoped it would be far enough away from the Council that I could continue in secret. However, they were more suspicious of me than I realized." Her eyes gleamed suddenly. "But, they were too late. I'd done it! I'd found the path to _real _immortality!"

Rodney stared at her in disbelief.

"When the council learned that I'd continued my research against their wishes, they sent their security forces to apprehend me. I knew I couldn't run from them. So, I erased the core programming of the computer in this outpost, and replaced it with my own."

"You mean you actually tried it?" Rodney asked, horrified, even as he wondered if she'd actually managed to pull it off. "You really tried to upload your mind to a computer?" He swallowed hard. "Did it work?"

Amirelle smiled again. "Yes, Dr. McKay. It did. It worked exactly as I'd predicted it would." She laughed. "When the security forces found my body, they assumed I had died in my final experiment. They closed the outpost, believing that the computer was damaged beyond repair. But they were wrong! I survived, and I was immortal!" Her triumphant expression faded a little. "There was, however, a complication. I had planned to create a new body for myself, one that would be immune to disease…injury. But, the Council discovered my project too soon. This outpost is isolated, as is this world. My resources are significantly limited." She sighed, then walked over to the nearby desk, and waved her hand at it…_through_ it.

Her image flickered briefly, and Rodney flinched, startled. "You… you're…" The pieces clicked together suddenly. "You're a hologram."

No wonder he hadn't heard her enter the room.

Amirelle nodded. "Yes. I have enhanced the technology tremendously - as you can see, the projection appears entirely real. But, I am still without an actual body." A troubled look passed over her features. "I am trapped here."

"So, you…you want me to help free you?" Rodney guessed.

Amirelle shook her head, that strange gleam returning to her eyes once more. "Not only that, Dr. McKay. I want you to join me."

**TBC…**

* * *

><p>AN: College has started up for me again, so updates might take a little longer, but since the fic is already complete, Lord willing, I'll be able to keep posting every three or four days.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, major spoilers for "Outcast," "Underground" "Miller's Crossing," and "McKay and Mrs. Miller."

Disclaimer: It's still not mine, but I'm now debating about keeping Rodney too. No one would mind, right?

A/N: This chapter was one I looked forward to writing from the time I was first jumped by the bunny. :D

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am in awe of His grace.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong>Mind Over Matter<strong>

Chapter 4

_Countdown: Three hours earlier…_

"She wants you to what?" Sheppard yelped. "That's insane!"

"You don't have to tell me that!" Rodney retorted, pacing around the cell. "Tell her! Not that it would do much good." He grimaced. "Apparently, she has some way of observing the Perfect's residence. She saw me, and figured I was her best chance of getting out o here - which she's probably right about. But, she figures that if I'm in the same situation, I'll be more…motivated…to find a solution and build her - build us - new bodies."

"Could you do it?"

"Of course I could!"

"Even without any…_additional_ resources?" Sheppard asked, carefully avoiding mention of Atlantis.

Rodney waved a hand impatiently. "Yes, even without that. Besides, I'd have her blueprints - those droids of hers were an early attempt to build a body. But, with the limited materials she has available here, she hasn't been able to make a computer that's compact, but sophisticated enough to hold her entire program. I don't think it's impossible, though."

Sheppard frowned. "How did she manage to build anything without a body, anyway?"

"This outpost has a robotic maintenance system. She reprogrammed it from the inside to do more and more complex tasks over time."

"Great." Sheppard sighed. "I don't suppose she'd listen if you pointed out that you'd have a much easier time working in your own body?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "I already tried that."

"What did she say?"

"That I've got an hour to reconsider cooperating willingly, or she'll find some other way to 'persuade' me."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Yeah, me neither." Rodney scrubbed a hand over his face and tried not to think about what it would be like to be trapped inside a computer for the rest of eternity.

"She doesn't have Ronon and Edison, right?" Sheppard offered, seeing his look "They'll come back with reinforcements."

"And if Ronon and Edison are laying unconscious somewhere?" Rodney refused to think about the other possibility. "Then what?"

"Then command will send another team here. We missed our check-in, so they'll come looking for us."

"Right, because an outpost that's been hidden for thousands of years, unbeknownst to the locals, is so easy to find."

"They'll find us."

Sheppard sounded absolutely certain, and Rodney knew he was probably thinking about their subcutaneous transmitters, but Rodney wasn't sure that would actually do them any good. They had no way of knowing if the outpost had any kind of shielding, or if they were far enough away from the EM generator that Atlantis would be able to use their equipment to pick up the signals.

Rodney swallowed hard. He liked his mind just where it was. He was attached to his body, and wanted to keep it that way.

Sheppard seemed to know what he was thinking. "They'll find us," he repeated. "They will, Rodney. And if they don't find us in time, then we'll just have to find a way out of here on our own. That's all there is to it."

Sheppard made it sound so easy. So simple. Like math. A plus B equals C. Rodney knew life wasn't always that way - there were too many variables for it to be reduced to a simple equation. Yet, somehow, Sheppard always managed to find a way out of this sort of thing. And, really, they'd faced impossible odds before and come out unscathed.

This time wouldn't be any different…right?

"Right," Rodney answered aloud, not entirely convinced. "We'll be fine."

Silence descended, and Rodney continued pacing around the cell. Sheppard moved to sit down, his back resting against the wall, his arms resting on his knees.

"So," Sheppard said at last. "You wanna tell me why you thought it was a good idea to tell Perfect Varrin about my family?"

Rodney stopped pacing and gave him a disbelieving look. "You wanna talk about that now?"

Sheppard shrugged. "I looked this cell over from top to bottom while you were gone. I don't see a way out. So, unless you can think of something I missed, we've got nothing better to do."

"But," Rodney sputtered, "I…you…"

The protest trailed off.

To be honest, he forgotten that he was even mad at Sheppard at all - these kinds of situations tended to be a little distracting. And, in light of life and death, his anger seemed kind of…petty? Insignificant?

Rodney's shoulders slumped. "I didn't mean to tell her," he admitted. "It just…happened."

Sheppard frowned. "How did you know that my family's wealthy, anyway?"

"Ronon told me. You know, after the funeral."

Sheppard blinked. "Oh." He looked down, his voice growing more subdued. "Right."

"It's just," Rodney continued, "until Sam told me he'd died, I didn't even know you had a father! Well, I mean, obviously you had to have one, unless you're some kind of clone…which, technically, even those have fathers somewhere along the line…"

"Rodney."

"Sorry. My point is, you told Teyla that you didn't have any family. Why haven't you ever told us that you do?"

"It's complicated."

"So? _My_ family's complicated. I still told you about them. You know about Jeannie. And Madison. And what's-his-name…Kaleb. But, you have a father and a brother, and a beach house in Malibu, and you never told me any of that. I mean, not that you have to tell me everything, but…we're friends, right?"

Sheppard gave him an incredulous look that said he shouldn't have had to ask in the first place. "What brought this on?"

Rodney walked the short distance across the cell and sat down next to Sheppard. "Your past is like this big secret. I guess I'd never even thought about it before. But…I don't really know that much about you."

Sheppard arched an eyebrow at him. "Rodney, you were out from that stun blast for a while. Are you sure you don't have a concussion or something?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. And thanks for ruining my heartfelt moment of sincerity, by the way." He paused, and gave Sheppard a piercing look. "You just…you never talk about yourself. Not really. Why is that?"

Sheppard seemed caught off-guard by the question. He shifted uncomfortably. "Part of it is habit, I guess."

"Habit?"

"Before Antarctica, I did a lot of things for the military that I couldn't talk about." He smiled a sad, humorless smile. "Used to drive Nancy, my ex-wife, crazy. I couldn't tell her anything, and I guess I just…got used to it."

"You got used to driving people crazy?"

"Yeah," Sheppard answered, deadpan. "That's exactly what I meant."

"I figured."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Ronon said you saw her at the wake," Rodney commented hesitantly. "Your ex-wife, I mean."

Sheppard sighed. "Yeah, I did."

Something in Sheppard's tone said that he really didn't want to talk about it, and figuring that he'd pushed enough, Rodney let it drop. "So, if part of it is habit, what's the other part?" he asked instead.

Sheppard shrugged again. "The military is my life. It's been my life for a long time. Everything else before that…I just don't really think about it that much. I never…I never really fit in there, with my dad and my brother. I couldn't wait to leave."

Rodney frowned. "Why?"

"My mom died when I was nine, and my dad…he had all these expectations of what I would do with my life. He wanted me to be a businessman like him, and he had everything all planned out for me."

Rodney blinked, surprised. He couldn't imagine having a father who wanted to plan his life so completely. Robert M. McKay (the "M" stood for "Meredith" - Rodney had always figured that his father had made it his son's _first_ name out of spite) couldn't have cared less what Rodney was doing. The nuclear bomb mock-up Rodney had made in grade six hadn't gotten so much as an unimpressed blink. Until the CIA came, anyway. Then his father had definitely had a lot to say.

"Is that what's been bothering you lately?" Rodney wondered. "What your dad did?"

"Nothing's bothering me," Sheppard refuted.

"Yeah, right. _Ronon's _been more talkative than you have lately. Something's definitely bothering you."

"I'm fine, Rodney."

"You said that before you left for your dad's funeral, too," he reminded. "You'll feel better if you get it off your chest, you know."

"Before we both die a probably horrible death?"

Rodney recognized that for the attempted distraction it was and nodded. "Exactly."

Sheppard sighed, and let his head fall back against the wall behind him. "It's just…something my brother said."

"What did he say?"

"My dad never wanted me to join the Air Force. I did it anyway. The night I told my dad that I'd re-upped for another eight years, we got into an argument. Nothing new. But, he uh, kind of implied that I couldn't be part of the family and still be a part of the Air Force. That was…that was the last time I saw him."

Rodney winced. No wonder Sheppard had never mentioned his family before.

"When I talked to Dave," Sheppard continued, "he said that Dad…Dad regretted what happened. I can't help wondering how he would have reacted if I'd called, or…or something. What if we could have fixed things?" Sheppard looked up at the ceiling, one boot scuffing the cell floor. "What if he died thinking I hated him?"

Rodney opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. There were no easy answers - none that Rodney could give. Those "what if" questions were the worst, because it was usually too late to change anything by the time you thought to ask them.

He'd asked that about Jeannie - what if he'd been more understanding? What if he'd been a better big brother? More supportive and less judgmental and demanding? At least he'd gotten a second chance with his sister, though. Sheppard wasn't going to have a second chance with his father. Not now.

"I, uh, didn't know your dad," Rodney offered at last, "but…I think, if your dad had known the truth about the kind of soldier you are, and what you do, he would have been really proud of you. He would have been nuts not to be."

Sheppard didn't answer right away, just turned to stare at him until Rodney had the urge to fidget, wondering if he'd stuck his foot in his mouth all over again. But, just when he was about apologize, Sheppard's lips finally quirked in a faint smile.

"Thanks, Rodney."

It was Rodney's turn to shrug uncomfortably. "Yeah, well…you're welcome."

Silence fell again, but this time - pending demise aside - the earlier tension was gone.

"Hey, Rodney?" Sheppard said eventually.

"Yeah?"

"From now on, if you want to know something about me, just ask, alright?"

"Really?

"Yeah."

"Okay." Rodney thought for a moment. "So, that's your big secret, right? The whole being rich, thing?"

"Working for a highly-classified government program that uses ancient, alien technology is my big secret, Rodney."

"Yes, yes, but I mean besides that. You're not like a spy in your spare time or anything, are you?"

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you."

"Very funny. But, you're not, right?"

"No."

"Okay, good. I just, you know, wanted to make sure."

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: I know that was a bit of a lull in the action, but I felt they needed to talk a little, like Sheppard said, before they die probably horrible deaths… (And no, I'm not planning to kill them…um, exactly… *shifty eyes* ;) ) But, the action picks up again in the next chapter, I promise.

Lord willing, the next post will be up in a few days.

I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, more major spoilers for "Outcast," and mention of events in "Common Ground."

Disclaimer: I now have both Rodney and Sheppard, and I'll be keeping them for sure, but I'm willing to talk about loaning them out once in a while. Maybe.

A/N: Once again, thank you so much to everyone who's reading, and especially, everyone who's reviewed! I so appreciate your comments.

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His incredible mercy.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 5

_Countdown: One hour earlier…_

It never failed to amaze Rodney how fast time passed when someone gave you an ultimatum - one where the "or else" was pretty much guaranteed to be unpleasant. The hour Amirelle had given him was up, and he could already hear the footsteps of the droids in the corridor outside.

Rodney swallowed hard. He and Sheppard had agreed that, right now, they essentially had two options. They could try to get the jump on the droids when they opened the door - which, given that the droids were heavily armed, probably wouldn't get them very far - or, Rodney could try to reason with Amirelle again.

Really, that second one seemed like their best choice, but Rodney wasn't optimistic about his chances. Anybody who'd willingly download their mind into a computer had probably not been very "reasonable" to begin with.

The door of the cell slid open.

"Come," the droid ordered mechanically. "Both of you."

Rodney frowned uneasily. Both?

Sheppard didn't seem very happy about that either, because he was wearing a stoic look Rodney recognized, the same one he'd worn when Kolya had… Now was _really _not a good time to be thinking about Kolya. Though, if Kolya were still alive, he and Amirelle would probably have a lot in common, like shared membership to Psychopaths R Us. Maybe they could even exchange tips on the best torture methods, and…

This wasn't helping.

"Move." The sound of weapons charging drew Rodney from his thoughts.

"I'm moving, I'm moving," Rodney muttered and quickly stepped out into the corridor with Sheppard. The droids assumed positions around them.

It didn't take long for Rodney to recognize that they weren't headed for the same office he'd been brought to earlier. Instead, the droids were leading them in the opposite direction, towards a section of the outpost that looked darker than the rest.

As they got closer, Rodney saw that several of the bulkheads were missing, leaving some of the outpost's inner workings visible. Crystals were missing too, along with most of the surrounding components.

The lab, Rodney realized. They were going to Amirelle's lab. She'd said that she'd modified the robotic maintenance system… She must have had to start scavenging for parts nearby.

His theory was proven right when they stopped at an open doorway - the door had obviously been cut away, and only a rough strip of metal slag remained. The lab itself looked like the Daedalus after a battle, with wires hanging from the ceiling and entire sections of the wall removed.

The droids pushed them forward, and Amirelle shimmered into view a few feet away.

"Dr. McKay," she greeted. Her gaze flickered over to Sheppard. "Colonel Sheppard. I would say that I am pleased to meet you, but I don't generally have much use for military men."

"Can't say I'm pleased to meet you either," Sheppard answered darkly. "I don't generally have much use for mad scientists."

Amirelle gave him a cold look and turned to Rodney once more. "Have you reached your decision?"

"I, uh, well, you see…I wanted to talk to you about that," Rodney started nervously. "Tempting as your offer is, I still think I'd be better able to help you if I stayed in my own body. I'm used to working like this, and if I agreed to the uh, procedure, I'd have to get used to a whole new way of doing things, and that would take a while, and I'm sure you want to get out of here as soon as possible, right? Oh, and hey, do you have any communication equipment? Because if you do, my people have some experience with replicator technology." Not that they could actually hand replicator technology over to the crazy Ancient, but she didn't have to know that. "If you let me contact them, I could" - _send for a rescue team _- "get a whole new replicator body built for you in no time, and-"

"Enough!" Amirelle snapped.

Rodney winced.

"I thought I made myself clear, Dr. McKay. You _will _be joining me. That is beyond question. I merely needed to determine how much…persuasion you require. Obviously, the lure of immortality is not enough." She looked at her droids. "Hold them," she ordered.

The droids moved quickly, obediently taking hold of Rodney's arms with a vice-like grip. Sheppard had reacted a little faster, but it wasn't enough to make any difference. The droids had him too.

Another, smaller, spider-like droid scuttled forward from the shadows, a long syringe in its grip, and Rodney tensed.

"As you might imagine," Amirelle began, "I wasn't the only one assigned to this outpost originally. One of my colleagues was a botanist, and he often brought samples of rare plants with him during his stays here. On his last visit, he was fascinated by a large, carnivorous plant he'd discovered on another world. He was particularly intrigued by the plant's digestive enzyme. He felt it had unique properties, and conducted extensive research on its effects." She paused thoughtfully. "A shame I had to kill him, really. Such a brilliant mind." Her expression brightened. "But, he was kind enough to leave several of his samples behind in stasis."

The spider droid moved forward again and Rodney's breathing picked up, heart pounding as the droid drew closer. His stomach lurched when the droid kept going, headed straight for Sheppard.

Sheppard started struggling again, but the other droids held him tightly. The smaller droid extended its legs so that it stood level with Sheppard's head. Then, it pulled back the collar of Sheppard's shirt, quickly jamming the needle into the space between Sheppard's neck and shoulder, emptying the contents of the syringe.

Sheppard grimaced, doubling over as much as the grip on his arms would allow, a low growl of pain escaping.

"What did you do?" Rodney demanded, glaring at Amirelle as the spider droid dropped to the ground again and scuttled away. "What did you do?"

Sheppard was breathing hard now, his eyes squeezed shut.

"I injected him with the enzyme," Amirelle answered, matter-of-factly. "The effect is almost immediate - his tissues will begin to break down within minutes. There are, perhaps, a couple hours before the effects become irreversible."

"Irreversible," Rodney repeated desperately. "You mean there's a way to reverse it now?"

Amirelle nodded. "Yes. My colleague discovered a way to counteract the enzyme. If the neutralizing agent is administered soon enough, the damage will be minimal, and his body should heal on its own. However, if the enzyme continues unchecked, he'll suffer severe internal bleeding, the walls of his organs will be compromised, and he'll die." She smiled coldly. "You have a choice, Dr. McKay. Cooperate with me, and I'll give him the neutralizing agent. Fight me, and you'll watch your friend die a very painful death."

"I…" Rodney started.

"Rodney, no," Sheppard growled.

"Silence," Amirelle snapped. "Dr. McKay?" she prompted.

_Yes! _he wanted to say._ Whatever you want, just save Sheppard! _But the words wouldn't come. It would have been different if Amirelle were only demanding his life. Rodney had faced death before, more times than he wanted to count. But now, he was terrified. He liked computers. Always had. He appreciated their efficiency and usefulness, the beauty of the mathematics behind them. He just didn't want to be trapped _inside_ a computer forever, no body, nosensation, just an eternity of circuits and wires…

"I…" he started again, voice catching.

Amirelle's expression turned icy. "Very well. In another hour, as his symptoms worsen, perhaps you'll be more inclined to cooperate." She turned to the droids. "Take them back to their cell."

This time, the droids had to drag them back through the corridors, Sheppard stumbling every few steps and Rodney constantly trying to twist around to check on him.

When they reached the cell and the droids pushed them inside, Sheppard almost doubled over again before he made his way unsteadily to the other side of the room, and slid down to the floor with his back to the wall. He closed his eyes, breathing hard. The red, angry mark between his neck and shoulder was bleeding a little.

Rodney watched him worriedly, mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of something to say. "Are you… I mean, does it hurt?"

"Burns," Sheppard admitted.

Rodney swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

Sheppard opened eyes. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"But-"

"No, Rodney, listen to me. This isn't your fault. You did the right thing. I don't want you to give into her, okay? No matter what happens to me, don't give in."

Rodney opened his mouth to argue, but then Sheppard drew a sharp breath, his body curling in on itself as he squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Sheppard?" Rodney demanded, rushing to his side. "Sheppard!"

"Just…took me by surprise," Sheppard managed after a moment. "I'm…okay."

"You are _not_ okay!" Rodney yelped. "You're so far from okay that it's not even funny! You're…you're…"

Sheppard was basically being eaten alive from the inside out, and this was just the beginning, and it would only get worse, and Rodney would have to watch…

But…but not if he-

"Don't even think about it, Rodney," Sheppard growled, as though he'd read his mind. "We've still…got time. Ronon and Edison will find us. And then…we can blow this place apart with her in it."

That sounded good, really good, and Rodney wanted to push the button on the detonator himself, but that seemed more like wishful thinking when Ronon and Edison were who-knows-where, and Sheppard was right here in front of him, knuckles white as his hands curled into fists, his breathing ragged.

"Sheppard?" Rodney asked anxiously.

"Still…okay," Sheppard gasped out finally. "Just…need to think about…something else. Ask me…a question."

"A question?" Rodney repeated.

"Yeah."

Rodney opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He'd thought of a million things he wanted to ask Sheppard about earlier, but right now, his mind was a blank.

"Um…your ex-wife," he said finally. "What's her name?"

"Nancy."

"What's she look like? Is she pretty?"

"Yeah…yeah, she's pretty." Sheppard winced. "Long, light brown hair…brown eyes."

"What does she do?"

"Works for DHS. A Director, now…she said."

A low growl of pain cut off Rodney's next question, and he watched helplessly as Sheppard tried to ride it out. Long, tense minutes passed.

"Another question, Rodney," Sheppard grit out at last.

"What? Oh, oh, right. Uh…is your brother older or younger than you?"

"Older."

"And you said his name is…Derek?"

Sheppard snorted weakly. "Dave. David. Hates it…when I call him…Dave."

"So, of course, you call him that every chance you get. What is it with siblings and annoying nicknames, anyway?"

Sheppard smirked faintly. "Don't…know."

Rodney thought for a moment, trying to come up with another question. "Do you have a car collection?"

Sheppard gave him a puzzled look. "A…what?"

"A car collection. You're rich, so…" Rodney trailed off.

Sheppard snorted again, and shook his head. "Not a…collection. Just…a couple…in storage."

"What kind are they?"

"Camaro…and…Mustang. Dad got…the Mustang for me…for my sixteenth birthday."

"Sports cars. Why am I not surprised?"

Sheppard looked like he was about to answer, but then his breath hitched suddenly, and he threw his head back against the wall, his arms tightening over his abdomen.

"Sheppard?" Rodney asked frantically.

He didn't answer.

"Sheppard!"

Sheppard was shaking, trembling, his face white with pain, and he looked so much like he had on that grainy video, Todd's hand on his chest, that Rodney found himself scrambling for the front of the cell.

"Okay!" Rodney yelled, pounding on the door. "I'll do it! Do you hear me? I'll do it!"

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you think! The next post should be up in a few days, Lord willing.

A/N2: To anyone who might be in the areas of the US affected by Hurricane Irene and the aftermath, you're in my thoughts and prayers.

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, only a reference to "Aurora."

Disclaimer: Atlantis isn't mine, but nobody has said anything about me keeping Sheppard and Rodney, so I guess no one minds. *grins*

A/N: I feel like a broken record, but thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed! We've finally come around to where the fic began, so you'll get to see just what happens to Rodney after that first scene. :D And don't worry, there are still four more chapters to go, so the fic isn't over yet.

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be utterly lost.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 6

_Countdown: Zero hour…_

Rodney wasn't sure if Amirelle hadn't heard him, or if she was just that sadistic, but he'd been yelling for fifteen minutes, the droids still weren't there, and his hands were starting to hurt from hitting the door.

"Rodney."

Rodney spun around immediately, and rushed back across the cell. "Sheppard!"

Sheppard was slumped sideways, watching Rodney with bleary, pain-filled eyes. "Thought I…told you…not to give in," he managed breathlessly, an edge of accusation in his voice.

"Yeah, about that…" Rodney grimaced. "Sorry. But you're…and I…I can't…" _I can't just watch you die like this._ He gave up trying to explain and cleared his throat. "Being stuck in a computer probably won't be that bad, right? I mean, no more citrus allergies. Or hypoglycemia. It'll probably save time, too - no typing." He'd been trying for optimistic, but it came out sounding mostly desperate, and he was rambling now, but he just couldn't seem to stop himself. "No need for food, either. And no sleep - imagine how much more I'll be able to get done. That alone, will-"'

"Rodney."

"-make up for being technically dead, and…"

"_Rodney_."

Rodney's mouth snapped shut. He swallowed hard. "What?"

"S'okay. I…have…a plan."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

Rodney opened his mouth to ask what that plan could possibly be and how Sheppard had managed to come up with one at all, but before he could say anything, the cell door slid open.

The droids strode inside and hauled Sheppard to his feet. They ignored Rodney's angry protests at the rough treatment as they dragged them both out into the corridor, and back to Amirelle's lab.

She was waiting for them when they arrived.

She smiled. "Dr. McKay. I knew you would come to see the benefits-"

"Yes, yes, enough with the gloating," Rodney snapped impatiently. "I agreed. You win. Now help Sheppard!"

Amirelle's eyes narrowed. "No."

"No? But you said-"

"You will undergo the procedure first, and _then_ I will administer the neutralizing agent."

"But, you…" Rodney's shoulders slumped. The longer he stood there arguing, the worse Sheppard would get. "Okay. Fine. Just-"

"No, Rodney," Sheppard interrupted. "She's lying. Don't-"

"Keep him quiet!" Amirelle ordered.

One of the droids swung the butt of its gun into Sheppard's stomach. Sheppard made a strangled noise, and dropped to his knees, arms wrapping protectively around his abdomen. He toppled sideways a moment later, eyes squeezed shut.

"Sheppard!" Rodney started forward to help him, but the sound of the droids charging their weapons brought him up short. He turned to glare at Amirelle. "If you do that again, I'll-"

"You'll what, Dr. McKay?" she challenged.

That was a good question, actually.

Rodney winced, some of his bluster fading. "Look, I'll…I'll do whatever you want. Just…don't hurt Sheppard anymore," he said finally.

"Stop these ridiculous delaying tactics and I won't," Amirelle returned. "You agreed to this, and I expect your cooperation. Unless, you'd prefer to see how much pain Colonel Sheppard will experience in another hour? Of course, the damage from the enzyme will be quite serious by then - perhaps even fatal."

"No!" Rodney yelled. He drew a deep breath. "No," he repeated. "Let's just…get this over with."

Amirelle smiled and nodded to the large machine suspended from the ceiling. It looked like a jumble of spare parts at first glance, but a long metal slab below it, complete with restraints, made it obvious that it was more than it appeared. "Lay down," Amirelle ordered.

Rodney hesitated just half a second longer, then started to make his way uneasily across the lab. A low moan from Sheppard made him pause.

"Keep going," Amirelle commanded coldly. She turned to her droids. "If Sheppard moves, shoot him - I don't want him to interfere."

Rodney grimaced but did what he'd been told, not stopping until he reached the slab. He pulled himself up onto it, and reluctantly laid back.

The metal restraints snapped closed with a loud _clang_, and Rodney swallowed hard, feeling the sharp edges of the cuffs dig into his wrists and ankles. Two other bands slid around his throat and forehead, holding him firmly in place. His heart hammered in his chest as he looked up at the machine looming above him.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" he managed.

"Yes," Amirelle admitted. "But it will be brief. Once your conscious mind is separated from your body, the pain will cease."

"You know," Rodney retorted, his voice cracking, "that really doesn't make me feel any better."

Amirelle didn't answer, just watched impassively as the machine lowered into position, stopping inches from Rodney's head.

Rodney shivered on the cold metal slab he was shackled to, feeling the chill even through his clothing, and tried to look around. He couldn't turn his head, but he could still see Sheppard out of the corner of his eye. He was on the floor, laying on his right side, his breaths coming in rapid, ragged gasps. His eyes were closed - he was probably unconscious.

Rodney just hoped it wasn't too late for the antidote to work, and that Amirelle would keep her word when he was…well, when this was over. He wasn't sure what he'd be able to do if she didn't, but he'd think of something. He wasn't going to let Sheppard die. Though, Rodney thought, a little annoyed, it would, of course, be just like Sheppard to go and die before anyone else could.

The machine whined suddenly, and Rodney swallowed again, his mouth and throat dry.

Then, he shut his eyes, and waited for the end to come.

The whine grew louder, and Rodney cringed as heat started to build up at his temples. He was bracing for the worst when the sound of weapons fire made his eyes snap open. He still couldn't turn his head, but could make out a figure running towards him. Sheppard!

The droids were shooting at Sheppard as he ran, but he dropped low, and the shots hit the machine instead.

Sparks flew, singeing the sleeve of Rodney's jacket, making him flinch. Amirelle's inhuman shriek of rage filled the lab as the whining of the machine died down, and the restraints unlocked. Rodney was so stunned that he was still alive and still in his own body that it took him a moment to register that he was free.

Sheppard's voice finally broke through his shock. "Rodney! Get down!"

As Rodney scrambled off of the slab and down to the floor, a beam hit the slab where he'd been laying just seconds before.

He crouched next to Sheppard and glared at him. Sheppard had obviously been pretending to be unconscious earlier, but if that was the case, then that meant…"_This _was your plan?" Rodney demanded incredulously, yelling to be heard over the blaster fire. "Get them to shoot at you and hope they missed?"

Sheppard smirked a little. "They didn't…miss. Not where it counted."

He looked up pointedly, and Rodney followed his gaze. The machine was a smoking, charred mess, still sparking.

"KILL THEM!" Amirelle screamed. "KILL THEM BOTH! NOW!"

"This way!" Sheppard yelled as the droids kept firing. Staying low, Sheppard ran for the exit, Rodney close behind.

As soon as they reached the corridor, Sheppard stumbled, using the wall to brace himself as he doubled over in pain. Rodney jumped as another shot just barely missed his foot, leaving a scorch mark on the floor. He grabbed Sheppard's free arm, slung it over his shoulder, and pulled him down the hallway as fast as he could.

"This was a stupid plan!" Rodney accused between gasps for air.

"It worked…didn't it?" Sheppard retorted, grimacing, his voice strained. "'Sides…the droids…don't seem…very bright, and there…can't be that…many of them."

It was a valid argument - Amirelle couldn't have built that many droids, given what she had to work with - but they had one, very important advantage: they were _armed!_

As if to make Rodney's point, a beam of light streaked down the corridor, hitting the wall just inches from Sheppard's head. Rodney yelped and dragged Sheppard farther down the hall. He could feel Sheppard trembling next to him, muscles shaking. The earlier adrenaline rush had obviously worn off - he was pale, his eyes bright with pain. How long had it been since he'd been injected with the enzyme, anyway?

Rodney desperately tried to calculate it as they ran - a little over an hour, maybe? That gave them…half an hour tops before the damage would probably be permanent if not lethal.

Alright, so they needed to take out the droids _and_ get the antidote too, all without getting killed in the meantime…

Rodney started moving even faster, and felt Sheppard sag a little more beside him. He obviously wasn't going to be a lot of help right now, so it was up to Rodney to get them out of this. And he could. Really. Sheppard had saved his life, and now it was Rodney's turn. That was just how it worked.

Rodney drew a deep breath. _Okay, think. Think, think, think. _First things first, they need to get out of the open - they were sitting ducks out here. They needed some place where they could regroup, put a little distance between themselves and the droids.

Rodney mentally snapped his fingers. This base was of Ancient design, and it seemed to be from the same design class as that ship they'd found…the…the…what's it's name…the Aurora! That's why the design was familiar! And, the layout was probably similar to the ruins they'd found on M7G-677. He could use that. He just needed to-

Rodney skidded to a halt as Amirelle materialized ahead of them. Her laughter seemed to fill the base. "You can't escape, Dr. McKay!" she mocked. "I am everywhere!"

Rodney's gaze darted desperately around. Amirelle was blocking the corridor so they had to-

He would have smacked himself if he had a free hand.

Amirelle was a hologram. An _intangible_ hologram.

He charged forward, taking Sheppard with him, running straight through her and wincing as the electrical charge of the hologram brushed over his skin.

Amirelle shrieked again, enraged, but Rodney kept going.

He ran into the first room he saw and pounded frantically on what seemed to be the door controls. Thankfully, the controls worked. Except…wait. They _shouldn't_ have worked, because…

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Rodney exclaimed frantically.

"What is it now?" Sheppard asked, still out of breath.

"The doors are linked to the computer, and Amirelle controls the computer…Amirelle _is_ the computer! She's this entire base! And that means-"

The door in front of them locked, and emergency bulkheads slammed into place around the rest of the room, cutting off every exit.

"-we have another problem," Rodney admitted.

They were trapped.

**TBC…**

* * *

><p>AN: You didn't think they'd get out of this easily, did you, lol? ;)

I forgot to mention this in the last couple chapters, but if you like the way I've portrayed Sheppard's relationship with his family, I've written a few other fics involving Sheppard's family: "Before A Fall," which is from Patrick Sheppard's POV, about his relationship with his son; "Boots," a drabble from Nancy's POV; "Regrets," a Sheppard POV companion piece to "Boots;" and "Decisions," a short series of AUs about three choices Sheppard never made. If you read them, I hope you enjoy them.

The next chapter should be up in a few days.

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: No spoilers in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Atlantis isn't mine, but I've now moved Sheppard and Rodney to a secure location.

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is a day or so late! It wasn't intentional, I promise. School has been keeping me very busy the last few days, but who needs sleep, anyway, lol? I will do my best to get the next chapter up a little sooner. :)

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is so incredibly patient with me.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 7

_Not good, not good, not good…_

The words repeated over and over again in Rodney's mind as he frantically tried to think of something, anything he could use to get them out of this.

Reprogramming the door wouldn't work - Amirelle could override any program he came up with. He glanced quickly around the room. Couldn't they have stumbled into a weapons locker or something? But, no. Instead it looked like this had been the equivalent of the outpost's cafeteria - what were they supposed to do, start a food fight with the droids? And there wasn't any doubt in Rodney's mind that the droids were coming. Amirelle had them trapped, but she wasn't just going to wait around for them to die of old age. Not that Sheppard would actually be dying of old age if they didn't get him that antidote, Rodney thought, swallowing hard.

"Cover," Sheppard panted, wincing.

Rodney frowned. "What?"

"Need cover," he repeated, nodding towards a serving counter that ran parallel to one wall.

Rodney turned them both in that direction, stumbling a little as Sheppard curled in on himself suddenly. He was taking most of Sheppard's weight by the time they'd made it across the room.

"Sheppard?" Rodney asked anxiously.

"Still…here," Sheppard managed after a long silence. It wasn't exactly the most reassuring answer ever, but it was better than no answer at all.

He helped Sheppard sit on the floor, his back to the cabinets filling the underside of the serving counter. Sheppard's eyes were closed, and his breathing had taken on a raspy quality that worried Rodney.

They didn't have a lot of time left to get that antidote. They need to get out of here _now_.

He looked around again desperately. The cabinets. Rodney started throwing them open, one after another, but…

"There's nothing in here!" he burst out.

"You'll think of something," Sheppard assured breathlessly. "Always…do."

It was a great statement of faith in Rodney's abilities, and while Rodney appreciated that, he was starting to wonder if, in this case, that faith was misplaced, because genius or not, he couldn't make something out of nothing.

Apart from the counter they were hiding behind, the room had some benches and tables, a set of upper cabinets, a refrigeration unit, and a stove. That was it. Even the dishes had been removed long ago, probably when the Ancients had closed down the outpost.

Rodney paused.

The stove. It looked like the same type they had on Atlantis, which were surprisingly not that different from what you'd find in most modern kitchens in the U.S. and Canada. They consisted of a simple combustion mechanism and heating element that could reach various degrees of temperature. They didn't use natural gas or propane, but something similar. Whatever it was, it was exceptionally flammable - as more than one of the sergeants on KP duty had found out during the first year of the expedition. Carson had complained about all the burns he was treating until Elizabeth had finally asked Rodney to figure out what was going on (ignoring his protests that kitchen safety didn't fall under the Chief Scientist's purview). It hadn't taken him long to realize that the gas was the culprit; only a minute amount was needed for ignition. That was where the sergeants had been making their mistake - they'd had the gas turned up too high.

And that gave Rodney an idea…an absolutely crazy idea, one that made him wonder if insanity was contagious, but it was an idea nonetheless.

He hurried over to the stove and pried up the access panel along the back. Everything depended on whether or not Amirelle had stripped the stove for parts, but since it was probably one of the few things on the outpost that wasn't run by computer, and she didn't need to eat, he didn't think she'd have a lot of use for it, and - bingo! It was still intact.

Rodney checked over the connections quickly, then reached for the valve that controlled the gas. He didn't have time to calculate cubic feet of air or parts per million so he'd just have to guess on the amount and hope that he didn't blow himself and Sheppard up along with the droids. He hesitated for just a moment, then opened the valve as far as it would go and jogged back over to Sheppard, looping his friend's arm over his shoulder and pulling him back to his feet. Sheppard gave a cry at the sudden movement, and Rodney cringed.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized hastily, dragging Sheppard towards the table in the farthest corner of the room. "But trust me, you don't want to be over there right now."

Sheppard's eyes cracked open. "Wha'd you do?"

"Probably killed us both," Rodney muttered, as he pulled the table on its side and settled Sheppard behind it. It wasn't very good cover, but it was better than nothing…he hoped.

The sound of metallic footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and Rodney ducked down, laying on his stomach. He peered around the edge of the table, watching as the controls flashed green, indicating that the door had been unlocked. A second later the door opened. Ten droids, walking in two lines of five, strode into the room. Like a robotic firing squad, they raised their weapons, tracked Rodney and Sheppard's location with eerie synchronicity, and pulled the trigger.

The reaction was immediate.

There was a loud _whoomph _as the gas ignited, and flames rolled across the air. Rodney buried his face in his arms, using his hands to protect his head. The sound of the explosion was almost deafening, and the screech of metal followed.

Then…silence.

When Rodney finally dared to open his eyes again, he could make out the shape of the droids - they were scattered around the room, some of them in pieces, others, twitching and sparking, badly damaged.

"It worked," Rodney breathed. "I don't believe it, it actually worked!"

He started to sit up and then gasped, clutching at his right leg. _Shrapnel_, his mind helpfully supplied. He'd probably been hit by shrapnel - whether from the droids or the stove he couldn't tell, but that didn't really matter. Either way, it _hurt_.

"Rodney?" Sheppard asked, struggling to sit up himself. "You get hit?"

Rodney grimaced. "Uh, yeah, but it's not bad…I think."

He hoped not, anyway. He'd gotten hit in the back of the thigh, and didn't some pretty important arteries run through there? But, as far as he could tell, the wound didn't feel very deep and there wasn't a lot of blood, so-

A blaster shot flashed over the table, just inches from his head.

Rodney yelped and dropped low again, heart pounding. Alright, so the explosion hadn't taken out all the droids after all.

Other shots followed, and molten patches appeared in the table in front of him. Rodney scrambled away instinctively, wincing as his injured leg protested. How had Sheppard managed to move around at all while he was…

Rodney's eyes widened. Sheppard! Sheppard was right-

…there. He blinked. The spot where Sheppard had been sitting was empty. Rodney's eyes darted around the room, frantically searching, but he froze when his gaze landed on the droid standing just a couple dozen feet away. Half of its outer casing was missing, exposing the circuits underneath, making it look like a ghoulish, walking skeleton…and he was so never watching the _Terminator_ movies again!

Rodney pushed himself to his feet, and ran, feeling the heat of the blaster fire as it passed by. He stumbled suddenly, his foot catching on a nearby bench, sending him to his knees.

His mouth went dry as he watched the droid adjust its aim. This time, he didn't think it would miss.

But, before it could fire, another shot came from across the room, hitting the droid's unprotected circuits. Sparks erupted, and the droid shuddered violently, then finally tumbled to the floor.

It didn't move again.

Rodney stared at it for a moment before he turned to see Sheppard standing by the cabinets, a droid's blaster in his hands. He was more pale than ever, leaning heavily against the counter for support and breathing hard, but his aim had obviously still been good.

Rodney swallowed past the lump in his throat, still a little shaky from the close call - _several_ close calls, really - but he got to his feet, and made his way over to Sheppard.

"Is that the last of them?" he asked.

Sheppard nodded, grimacing. "I think so."

Rodney's shoulders slumped in relief. Maybe things were finally starting to look up.

The lights flickered, and an outraged cry sounded throughout the base.

Then again, maybe not.

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: I have to admit, I'm rather fond of cliff-hangers. *ducks all the rotten fruit being thrown at her* ;)

The next chapter should, Lord willing, be up in a few days. :)

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: No spoilers in this chapter.

Disclaimer: It's still not mine, but I'm allowed to dream, aren't I? :)

A/N: I'm repeating myself, but to everyone who is reading, and most especially, all who have reviewed, thank you so much!

**BookemDanno50**, FF.N keeps blocking my review responses to you, but I hope you don't mind me saying thank you this way! I so appreciate your comments!

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for his goodness and mercy.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 8

The lights flickered once more, and then shut off, leaving only the dim, emergency lighting behind.

Sheppard pushed himself away from the counter, but doubled over just as fast, a low, pained sound escaping. Rodney rushed to his side, catching him before he fell, and pulling him towards the door.

It slammed shut when they were still a few feet away, trapping them again.

"I am going to kill you _slowly_," Amirelle's disembodied voice growled. "You'll beg for death before I'm through!"

Rodney swallowed hard, his eyes darting to the controls. "Maybe I can short it out, or-"

Sheppard raised the blaster and fired at the door. The metal glowed under the continuous barrage, then finally started to give way.

"-or, you could just do that."

It took a few minutes, but by the time Sheppard was done, they had an opening that was big enough for them to slip through. Rodney helped Sheppard through first, flinching when he came a little too close to the still-hot metal, singeing a sleeve and his arm, too.

"Which way?" Sheppard managed hoarsely, once they were outside in the corridor.

Rodney ran through a mental map of the outpost, trying to place the rooms he'd been in. Amirelle's lab was to the left, and the office he'd been taken to earlier was to the right. The cell they'd been held in was somewhere in the middle, on the opposite side of the hallway, not that far from the cafeteria.

"Left," he answered, quickly pulling them both that way.

Amirelle had said that her colleague had left samples of the enzyme behind and that meant he'd probably had a lab too. Since the labs were usually in the same area, that was their best bet for finding the antidote.

Rodney kept them moving as fast as he could, but Sheppard was stumbling every few steps, and the muscles of Rodney's own injured leg felt like they were on fire. If he had to guess, he'd say that the shrapnel was probably working its way in deeper, but they didn't have time - _Sheppard_ didn't have time - for them to stop and treat it.

"Keep running, Dr. McKay," Amirelle taunted, the words seeming to come from everywhere. "It doesn't matter. I told you, you can't escape me!"

Rodney wanted to yell at her to just shut up - they _really_ didn't need the reminder - but he was too out of breath to try.

He paused when they reached the doorway of Amirelle's lab, and adjusted his grip on Sheppard, accidentally jarring him a little. When Sheppard winced, Rodney mumbled a quick apology, and looked around. In this part of the outpost, Amirelle had gutted just about everything she could get her hands - well, droids - on, and the room next to Amirelle's lab had almost been stripped to the studs. But, a room across the hallway looked relatively untouched, and the door was still there. The botanist's lab, maybe? She would probably want to keep that intact.

"Think…the antidote…is in there?" Sheppard asked, his reasoning obviously running along the same lines.

Rodney nodded. "Yeah. Uh, could you…?" He waved his hand at the entrance, and Sheppard raised his blaster once more.

The lab was apparently better protected than the cafeteria had been, so it took longer to break through the door, but eventually, they did.

Rodney bent down and peered inside. The room was dark and quiet, almost strangely peaceful. That wasn't exactly reassuring, but he couldn't see anything suspicious, and if the antidote really was there, they didn't have a choice.

The makeshift entrance wasn't quite tall enough for them to walk through standing up, and Sheppard's breath hitched when they had to duck to make it inside. Rodney helped Sheppard sit down on the floor, wincing at the way Sheppard immediately hunched over, his grip on the blaster hard enough that his knuckles were white.

How much damage had the enzyme done already?

Rodney swallowed hard and started searching the room. The emergency lighting filling the base didn't let him see much, but he could make out a work station in a back corner, a long-dead plant beside it. A table ran the length of one wall, and a row of shelves stood opposite that. Most of the equipment was gone, but… Rodney's gaze fell on the lowest shelf. Yes! A square box, about half the size of a desk-top computer, sat in the shadows. It was almost hidden from view - maybe that was why it had been missed when the Ancients had emptied out the lab the first time - but it was a miniature stasis unit, he was sure of it. He'd seen some similar ones in the infirmary, and in the botany wing…Katie had one like that, actually. Rodney reached down to pick up the box. He turned it over in his hands, trying to remember how it opened. It didn't require the gene, but it did have a locking mechanism. He ran his fingers over the stasis unit, trying to find the - _there_. He slid open the latch and the unit gave a soft click, revealing three shelves.

Rodney cursed under his breath, elation fading rapidly. There were several samples inside, and while they were labeled, the writing was in Ancient. He'd gotten a lot more fluent in the language over the last few years, but that fluency didn't extend to botany, and he couldn't make out more than one or two words. At least a few of these samples had to be the enzyme, but which one was the neutralizing agent?

Well, Rodney thought a little desperately, they'd just have to find a way out of here, and take every sample with them. When they got back to Atlantis, they could-

Searing heat passed over his shoulder. Rodney gave a shout, clutching the stasis unit and ducking instinctively as the room glowed green for an instant, the sound of a blaster shot echoing.

"What the-" he started frantically, turning to look at Sheppard. "You almost hit me!" he accused.

"Better than the alternative," Sheppard retorted breathlessly, motioning with his blaster.

Rodney followed his gaze and paled - there, on the shelf above him, laying in a now-partly-melted heap, was the spider-droid, one claw raised, a syringe in its grip.

"You're welcome," Sheppard offered, seeing his look.

"Yeah, thanks," Rodney answered distractedly, still staring at the droid. If the enzyme was in that syringe…

He reached forward and quickly pried it free from the droid, immediately comparing it to the samples in the stasis unit. "Looks like it could be the same thing" wasn't exactly the height of scientific study, but maybe he could narrow things down a little, at least.

"I've run out of patience, Dr. McKay."

Rodney froze, then swallowed hard and turned around, not really surprised to find Amirelle standing behind him, her features contorted in fury. Hologram or not, the look of rage was real, and it was hard not to take her seriously when she'd come so close to killing them already.

"You _will_ die," she snarled.

The sound of rapidly rushing air cut off any reply Rodney might have made. His eyes widened in horror as realization sunk in. "Oh, no…"

Amirelle gave a twisted smile then faded from view.

"Rodney?" Sheppard questioned sharply, struggling to his feet.

"The ruins on M7G-677 were underground!" Rodney yelled, grabbing all the samples from the stasis unit and shoving them into the empty pockets of his TAC vest as fast as he could. "If this outpost is underground too, it has a closed ventilation system! That means she can vent the atmosphere! We have to find a way out of here, _now_!"

Another gust of wind blew through the lab, and Rodney reached for Sheppard again, taking most of his weight as they moved for the door. By the time they made it back into the corridor, Rodney's lungs were starting to ache. It reminded him of when he'd been eight and his dad had insisted he go out for baseball, and the coach had made them run laps for thirty minutes. Rodney had been pretty sure he was having an asthma attack then, even though his mom had just scoffed and told him that he didn't _have_ asthma. But it had felt an awful lot like this, and no matter how deep a breath Rodney took, he just couldn't seem to get enough air.

He didn't know for sure how big the outpost was, but at the rate the air was moving, he guessed they had maybe five to seven more minutes of oxygen left. The levels were dropping steadily though, and the extra physical exertion wasn't helping. The muscles in his back and shoulders were starting to burn from holding onto Sheppard, and he could feel a warm trickle of blood running down the back of his leg where the shrapnel had hit.

Rodney took another gulp of air, trying to pretend that it didn't leave him feeling like he was already breathing in a vacuum. He had to focus. If the base was underground, then there had to be some way for them to get to the surface. The ruins on M7G-677...the layout of this outpost was probably similar if not identical. But his head was starting to hurt, and he just couldn't _think_, and-

Sheppard suddenly went limp, and Rodney almost fell. "Sheppard!" he called, shouting to be heard over the wind. "Sheppard!"

He didn't answer. Rodney looked down at him and felt his stomach lurch. Sheppard's skin had a faint bluish tinge, and his eyes were rolled back in his head, lids fluttering.

He needed to get Sheppard out of here now!

Rodney's gaze darted around the corridor frantically. There were maybe a dozen rooms in this outpost, and any one of them could lead to an exit, but he had no idea where to start. Then again, Rodney thought bitterly, even if he _did_ know where to go, Amirelle would try to stop him. She was everywhere.

Rodney blinked.

She was everywhere. And that meant…maybe they couldn't get away from her, but _she_ couldn't get away from them, either!

Rodney quickly laid Sheppard down on the floor, then scooped up the blaster from where it had fallen when Sheppard had lost consciousness. He staggered down the hallway, heading back towards the labs, forcing himself to hurry.

As soon as he reached the first missing bulkhead he raised the blaster and fired. Sparks flew as circuits and crystals fused, and a burnt, electrical smell filled the corridor.

Rodney kept going. He hit every exposed wire, junction, and panel he could find. The corridor started heating up as small fires ignited, and that was probably consuming extra oxygen they couldn't afford to lose, but he didn't stop.

Amirelle reappeared directly in front of him, her expression outraged. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"What does…it look like…I'm doing?" Rodney gasped out.

"Stop it!" Amirelle growled.

Rodney didn't answer this time. It felt like there was a vise around his chest now, squeezing, and if he was going to die, he wanted to spend his last breaths blasting Amirelle into tiny little pieces - or at least, a lump of melted circuits - not talking to her.

He raised his blaster again and fired, sending another shower of sparks into the corridor.

Amirelle's hologram flickered suddenly, and she stared down at herself in shock. "I said, STOP!" she yelled.

There was a conduit next to him. Rodney blasted that too, watching with satisfaction as it buckled under the heat. A long line of cable was next. Then a group of wires. A control panel.

"_STOP_!"

More crystals. A circuit board. Another cable.

Rodney stumbled suddenly, his chest heaving, black spots dancing before his eyes. He blinked hard, trying to will them away. _Oxygen deprivation_, his brain explained helpfully. _Symptoms include_-

_Shut up! _Rodney snapped._ I don't need to know the symptoms! I've already got them!_

He raised his arm again. A second conduit. Another bundle of wires.

Amirelle's hologram was flickering repeatedly now, like the static on an old television set.

Rodney's gaze fell on nearest open bulkhead. He tried to aim the blaster to fire at the closest batch of crystals, but his finger fumbled on the trigger. He grabbed onto the weapon with his other hand instead, and raised his arms, ready to bring the blaster down.

Amirelle's features contorted in rage. "You'll die!" she shrieked. "I SWEAR, YOU'LL DIE! YOU'LL DI-"

Rodney let his arms drop, smiling a little when he heard the fragile crystals shatter under the butt of the gun.

Amirelle's shriek turned into a shrill scream, and then into a piercing electronic whine that stopped the instant Amirelle vanished from view.

The base was abruptly, eerily silent.

Rodney slumped forward to lean against the wall, gasping. The cool of the metal felt good in the heat of the corridor, and even though he was still on his feet, this position was surprisingly comfortable. His eyes drifted closed. He was tired…really tired. It was so tempting to just stay here and rest.

Sheppard would be okay for a little while. He just needed to-

Sheppard!

Rodney's eyes snapped open, and he pushed himself away from the wall. Those black spots made a reappearance, and Rodney shook his head. Not now! He couldn't pass out now!

He grit his teeth and kept going, making his way back to where he'd left Sheppard.

He was so focused on not passing out that it took him a while to realize that something was different.

The air. It wasn't moving anymore. And he could still breathe - barely. But, it was better than not being able to breathe at all. The atmosphere must have stopped venting when Amirelle…died? Rodney grimaced. He wasn't convinced that she was really gone. He wasn't sure he'd done enough damage for that. All he'd had was a blaster, and he'd much prefer to have used, oh, say, a few nuclear warheads. At least. Just to be sure.

If Amirelle was still lurking around in the base's mainframe now…

Rodney tried to move faster.

Thinking about whether or not Amirelle was off in a circuit somewhere, plotting their demise _again_, had one benefit, though - it had kept him from thinking about other things, like the fact that the air so thin that he could see a blue tinge to his fingernails, or the fact that the air they _did _have wouldn't last forever, or-

Rodney stopped.

He could see Sheppard now. And Sheppard hadn't moved; he was laying exactly where Rodney had left him.

Rodney drew a deep breath that wasn't very deep, and started forward again, every step feeling heavier. His hand was shaking by the time he bent down to feel for Sheppard's pulse.

His eyes closed in relief. It was weak and sluggish, but it was there, and now that he was closer, he could see the slight rise and fall of Sheppard's chest. He wasn't in good shape by any means, but he was still alive.

Summoning up what little energy he had left, Rodney dropped the blaster, hooked his arm under Sheppard, looped one of Sheppard's arms over his own shoulders, and started forward.

Later, when he was asked about it, Rodney honestly couldn't remember much of his search of the outpost. Everything was gray and hazy until he finally found himself in front of something that looked like a smaller version of the transporters on Atlantis. He stumbled forward, pulling them both inside, and then put his hand on the control panel.

There was a flash of light, and instantly they were on the planet's surface, standing in the middle of an Itharian alley. Rodney blinked. The city. They'd right been under the city. It was dark, and the cool, crisp, night air was a shock, but Rodney couldn't stop himself from taking in deep lungfuls of it anyway.

There was a sound - a foot scuffing the nearby pavement, and a moment later a woman appeared from around the corner. Rodney recognized her as one of the villagers he'd seen earlier. Her eyes widened when she saw them, and Rodney realized how they probably looked: bloody, bruised, and battered.

She turned right around and screamed for help, and things got blurry again after that.

Then, suddenly, Ronon was there, and Edison and Lorne, and they were calling for a medical team, and…

"Dr. McKay," Lorne asked, "Can you tell us what happened?"

Rodney blinked again, and forced the words out between gasps for air. He wondered how long it would be before his chest stopped hurting. "She…there…there was an Ancient. Crazy. Trapped…her mind…in a computer. Wanted…wanted me to join her. We …got away."

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

Rodney waved Lorne's concern away. "I'll be…okay. She…tried to vent…the atmosphere. But, but…Sheppard," he managed, "she…injected him with a plant enzyme…a _digestive_ enzyme. He…he doesn't have much time left. Two hours, she said. Almost been…two hours. I've got…the antidote somewhere," he fumbled for his pockets, "just don't know…which one…"

Ronon nodded. "…_did good, McKay," _Rodney heard distantly, _"You did good."_

The darkness came rushing back again, but this time, Ronon caught him before he hit the ground.

**TBC…**

* * *

><p>AN: I didn't feel right about posting the next chapter on September 11, or immediately after, so I waited. To everyone who was effected by the tragedy on September 11, 2001, you are in my thoughts and prayers. To all the service men and woman who have given their lives to keep us safe in the decade since, and to their families, thank you. May God give you comfort and bring you peace.

A/N2: Hard to believe there are only a couple more chapters to go! The next chapter should, Lord willing, be up in a few days. :)

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, more spoilers for Outcast, and mentions of the events of "The Defiant One," "The Siege, Pt. 1," "The Siege, Pt. 2," "Doppelganger," "Sunday," and "Lifeline."

Disclaimer: I don't own it…but, Christmas is getting closer. Maybe, someone will be generous?

A/N: As always, I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the source of all inspiration.

I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

* * *

><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 9

Something was beeping.

That was the first thing Rodney noticed. Something was beeping, and whatever it was, it had been enough to wake him up.

His face scrunched up a little in annoyance. Somebody really ought to take care of that.

"Rodney?"

Somebody _else_, preferably. He was comfortable, lethargy tugging on his limbs. It was nice.

A hand touched his shoulder. "Rodney? Can you hear me?"

Rodney sighed, resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be getting any more sleep, and forced his eyes open. He blinked up at the ceiling. The _infirmary's_ ceiling. Most of it was hidden in shadow, and the lights were dimmed - it must have been the middle of the night. But it he was back on Atlantis.

"Dr. Keller, I believe he is awake!"

He blinked a few more times and let his gaze drift to the side. Teyla. Teyla was there, but she had turned away from him now, calling for Dr. Keller, and she sounded kind of…worried. Why would she be worried? Well, obviously, he was in the infirmary, so she probably had a reason to worry, but…

"Teyla?" he managed finally.

Teyla turned around to face him, and her concern melted into a relieved smile. "Rodney. It is good to see you with us again."

"What happened?"

Teyla opened her mouth to answer, then hesitated. "What is the last thing you remember?" she asked finally.

Rodney frowned - the last however-many-hours of his life were a total blur.

He drew a deep breath - seriously, why did that hurt? - and tried to relax, mentally taking stock. He recognized that heavy, sluggish, fuzzy feeling that usually came with the good drugs, but when he concentrated, he could feel the aches and pains lurking underneath. The worst of it seemed to be coming from his right leg. He moved it a little, wincing when he felt the tug of stitches, and didn't it say a lot about his life that he could recognize those too? His shoulder hurt, and so did his arm, and the muscles in his back were one giant knot. He was totally going to send Sheppard his chiropractor's bill, because-

Memory came flooding back.

"Sheppard!" he blurted, abruptly sitting up. "Sheppard! Is he…?"

"Rodney!" he heard Jennifer call from somewhere across the infirmary. "I'll be there in a minute, just wait!"

He ignored her and pushed down the blankets on his bed, trying to swing his legs over the side, but Teyla caught his arms. "Colonel Sheppard is alive," she assured, gently but firmly making him lay back again. "I know you are worried, and I'm sure Dr. Keller will let you visit him in a short while, but you have just regained consciousness. You shouldn't be on your feet."

He scowled at her. Why did she have to be so reasonable? But, maybe she had a point, because all that moving had left him a little light-headed…alright, more than a little, he admitted, closing his eyes against the sudden vertigo. By the time he opened them again, Jennifer was there with a penlight.

He cringed, but cooperated until Jennifer was apparently satisfied, and tucked the light back into the pocket of her coat. "How are you feeling?"

"Just great," Rodney huffed sarcastically.

Used to dealing with surly patients, Jennifer just gave him a pointed look, and Rodney's shoulders slumped. "Sorry," he mumbled. He scrubbed a hand over his face wearily, pausing when his fingers brushed against thin, plastic tubing. A nasal cannula. He blinked, surprised.

Jennifer's expression softened when she saw his reaction "You had a pretty serious case of hypoxia," she explained. "I want you on extra oxygen for at least a day, just to be safe."

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Right." He let his hand drop back down to the bed. "Look, I'm…I'm okay, really. Sore and tired, but okay." He looked up anxiously. "How's Sheppard?"

Jennifer hesitated, biting her lip, and Rodney knew her well enough to recognize when she was trying to figure out how to give someone bad news. Dread settled in his chest.

"We had to put him on a ventilator," she said at last.

A ventilator.

Every other thought in Rodney's head came to a screeching halt. A ventilator. Sheppard was on a ventilator

"I know it sounds bad," Jennifer rushed to explain, seeing his horrified expression, "and I won't lie, it's not good, but he's actually pretty stable right now. The enzyme caused some bleeding in his lungs, and, and the low oxygen levels you two had to deal with didn't help. But, the ventilator should give his lungs the time they need to heal. He had some bleeding in his abdomen too, in his stomach and small intestine, but all of it was relatively minor, and seems to have stopped once we gave him the neutralizing agent. We're watching him closely for any sign of infection right now, and we already have him on a strong antibiotic as a precaution. But, as long as there aren't any serious complications, I think there's a very good chance he'll make a full recovery."

Rodney was silent for a long moment as her words sunk in. _…as long as there aren't any serious complications…_

"You're sure you got Sheppard the antidote on time?" he found himself asking. "I…I tried to hurry, but I don't know how long it took us to get out of there, and-"

"I'm sure, Rodney," Jennifer answered, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "You told Lorne there was a time limit, so we actually put Colonel Sheppard in stasis as soon as we got him back here. It took a couple hours for us to figure out which sample was the neutralizing agent, but the stasis pod kept the enzyme from doing any more damage in the meantime."

Rodney nodded slowly, not totally convinced. He trusted Jennifer, he _did_, but Sheppard had been in so much pain earlier… "Can I see him?" he asked.

"You were unconscious for several hours. I don't know if you should-"

"I told you, I'm okay," he insisted stubbornly.

Jennifer sighed and crossed her arms, her gaze piercing as she studied him. Rodney did his best to look awake and alert and uncompromising - as much as he could laying in a hospital bed, anyway.

"Alright," she relented finally, "I'll let you see him, but I have two conditions. One, I want you in a wheelchair. I just put thirty stitches in your leg. I don't want to have to redo those."

Rodney grimaced. Thirty? No wonder he was on the good drugs.

"Two," Jennifer continued, "you'll only stay for a few minutes."

A few minutes? Rodney scowled, ready to argue, but Jennifer held up a hand. "It's either that or no deal."

It was Rodney's turn to sigh. "Fine," he agreed grudgingly.

Teyla stepped back as Jennifer and a nurse started getting Rodney detached from all the monitors he 'd been hooked up to. They exchanged his oxygen supply for a portable one, before transferring him to a wheelchair, and hanging his IV on the stand attached to the back. Good drugs or not, the wheelchair seat pushed on his injured thigh. Rodney grit his teeth and didn't say anything, not wanting to give Jennifer any reason to change her mind about letting him see Sheppard.

After one last check to make sure everything was in place, Jennifer dismissed the nurse, and started pushing Rodney towards the ICU, while Teyla followed behind them. A few minutes later, Jennifer was wheeling him next to Sheppard's bed.

Sheppard's section of the ICU was quiet, the only sounds the _hiss, click _of the ventilator, and the beeping of a nearby monitor. Sheppard himself was almost lost under a sea of blankets and medical equipment, his dark, unruly hair standing out starkly against the pillow.

Rodney must have been staring, because Jennifer laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's not easy to see him like this," she offered. "But he really is stable right now."

Stable. Sheppard was stable. He didn't look it, though. Rodney couldn't help thinking that ventilators were for someone on death's door, desperately fighting for life, not someone who was stable.

Jennifer gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before bending down to lock the wheelchair brakes. Teyla gave Rodney an encouraging smile, then walked around to the other side of Sheppard's bed, resting her hand on Sheppard's arm.

"His color is better than it was earlier," she said quietly. "That is a good sign."

Jennifer nodded as she straightened up. "Yeah, it is. I think that's why I was finally able to convince Ronon to leave and get something to eat."

_Better? _Rodney couldn't help thinking. _This is better? _Sheppard still seemed pale to him. It was the blood loss, probably. Jennifer said he'd been bleeding internally.

Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because Rodney could feel Teyla watching him now, her expression sympathetic. "Perhaps we should give you a few minutes alone," she suggested at last. "That is," she added, looking over at Jennifer, "if you agree?"

Jennifer nodded hesitantly. "Actually, I need to check on Sergeant Masterson - he broke his leg when Lieutenant Hansen's team was doing a survey of the alpha site."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Rodney realized they were both waiting for his answer. "Hm? Oh. Yeah, okay," he said finally, finding it hard to tear his gaze away from Sheppard.

He was so still. Was he supposed to be that still?

"Very well, then," Teyla continued. "If you do not mind, Rodney, I promised Ronon that I would tell him when you woke. I will be back soon." She offered him another smile, then took one last look at Sheppard as though assuring herself that he was alright, before she turned and moved for the infirmary doors.

Jennifer seemed a little more reluctant to leave. "You're sure you'll be okay by yourself for a few minutes?" she asked. "I'll be right over there if you need anything," she told him, pointing.

Rodney waved a hand at her impatiently. "I told you, I'm fine."

"Okay. But, when I come back, I don't want any arguments about leaving." She gave Rodney a stern look that was probably supposed to remind him of their deal, and started across the infirmary.

A moment later, he was alone with Sheppard.

_Hiss, click._

"Now you've got me doing it," Rodney found himself grumbling, glaring a little at Sheppard's unmoving form. "Saying I'm fine when I'm not. 'Cause I'm not, you know. I'm not fine. Not anywhere close. I'm probably drugged to the gills, and my leg _still_ hurts."

_Hiss, click._

He sighed. "But I'm not as bad off as you are. You really have to stop scaring people like this, you know. And that means you have to stop throwing yourself in front of danger, because I have news for you: you're not invincible." His voice cracked faintly on that last word. That was a lesson that Pegasus seemed intent on teaching them. Brendan Gaul…Grodin…Ford…Kate Heightmeyer…Carson…Elizabeth… That list kept getting longer and longer, and he didn't want Sheppard's name added to it. They'd come close to that happening way too many times as it was.

"I mean, getting the droids to shoot at you?" he continued. "You call that a good plan? And, yeah, it worked and we're alive, but that's not the point. Any sane person will tell you: 'I'll have them shoot at me' is _not_ a good plan."

_Hiss, click._

"Still, I uh…I didn't get to say this before, since we were too busy running for our lives and all, but…thanks. I didn't want to be stuck in a computer. I really didn't. Sure, preserving my intellect for millennia might be seriously beneficial to mankind, but…" He swallowed hard. "I wouldn't want to live like that. So…thanks."

Sheppard didn't answer - not that Rodney had been expecting him to. Exhaustion, and probably the drugs too, were making everything kind of hazy, but Rodney wasn't _that_ far gone. Still, talking helped somehow, even if the conversation was mostly one-sided, and now that he'd started, he just couldn't seem to stop.

_Hiss, click._

"You know, you must have been a nightmare as a kid. I had it easy as far as siblings went. Jeannie was usually pretty well behaved. Except for that time that she decided to give her Barbie dolls a haircut. I told her it wouldn't grow back, but did she listen to me? No. Not my fault they wound up bald. But your brother…Doug? Dillon? He probably had to spend all his time trying to keep you from pulling suicidal stunts."

_Hiss, click._

"I hope I can meet your brother someday, though. And I'm not just saying that because I want to see what embarrassing stories he has about you - though, don't think I won't ask, 'cause I will. I haven't forgotten that Jeannie was kind enough to tell you all about my childhood trauma, you know. But…from what you said, it didn't sound like you and your brother are very close. And…well, Darrel? Darren? He doesn't know how lucky he is. You…you're a good man, Sheppard. A good friend. A good leader. And, if I had a brother…I'd want him to be like you. If I ever get to meet Darren…well, I wanna tell him that."

_Hiss, click._

"Who's Darren?"

Rodney jumped a little and turned as much as the wheelchair allowed, glaring at Ronon who was now standing behind him.

"He's…" Rodney started. Wait…maybe that wasn't Sheppard's brother's name after all. But then what was it? Dale? No, that wasn't it either… "He's none of your business," Rodney answered at last.

Ronon snorted softly, and Teyla elbowed him gently in the side. "Ronon," she scolded.

The big man shrugged, looking amused.

He was still smiling when he walked up to Rodney and clapped him on the shoulder - not hard, thankfully - but his smile grew more sincere. "Glad to have you back, McKay," he said.

"As am I," Teyla agreed. She nodded at Sheppard. "We are glad to have you both back."

With those simple words, something unknotted in Rodney's chest.

They were back. They weren't okay yet, but…they would be. _Sheppard_ would be okay.

And when Jennifer appeared again, ready to take him back to bed, he didn't even try to argue.

…Much.

**TBC…**

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><p>AN: The last chapter should, Lord willing, be up in a few days.

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Mind Over Matter

Summary: When Sheppard returns from bereavement leave after his father's death, a discovery leads Atlantis to a new world and potentially valuable allies. But a secret from the planet's past might just wind up costing Rodney and Sheppard their lives.

Timeframe: Set directly after Outcast.

Spoilers: In this chapter, more spoilers for Outcast, and a reference to the conversation at the end of "Travelers."

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis, but if Sheppard and Rodney are missing…I plead the fifth.

A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter wound up a little late! School has been very hectic. It's hard to believe it, but this is the last chapter. :) I've said it many times before, but thank you to everyone who's been reading, and more especially, everyone who has reviewed! Your comments mean a lot, and I'm so glad that you've enjoyed it!

I hope you enjoy this last part too, and please let me know what you think!

As always, I thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Whose mercies are renewed every morning.

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><p><strong><span>Mind Over Matter<span>**

Chapter 10 - Epilogue

As far as planets went, Itharia ranked pretty high up there on the list of worlds Rodney would have been perfectly happy never to see again. After all, the Itharians had almost gotten them killed, just because they didn't know what was going on, right under their feet.

Rodney sighed. Okay, fine, so he couldn't really blame them, as much as he wanted to. Amirelle had kept herself hidden, and the Itharians had had no way of knowing that the Ancients had kept an outpost on their world to observe them, let alone that a deranged Ancient was still lurking around beneath their city.

Besides, according to Ronon, as soon as they'd been taken by Amirelle's droids, Perfect Varrin's Chief of Security had launched a full investigation, and he and his men had been right alongside the Atlantis teams as they'd searched. So, the Itharians were, apparently, genuine potential allies - genuine potential allies who were willing to give Atlantis access to all the data they had on their EM generator. That alone would have been reason enough to continue the negotiations.

But, the Itharians prided themselves on superiority, excellence, and perfection, and since, needless to say, Atlantis's first trip to Itharia had been less than _ideal_, they were desperate to make up for it. Perfect Varrin and the Itharian High Council had invited a delegation to Itharia to finalize the alliance. They'd even arranged a large formal dinner to mark the event, and requested that Rodney and Sheppard attend as the "guests of honor."

Of course, they had been _thoughtful_ enough to postpone the dinner until both he and Sheppard were well enough to attend. They'd had to be pretty patient. Sheppard had spent five days on the ventilator - five very long days as far as Rodney was concerned - and two weeks total in the infirmary. Even, now, a week after he'd been released, Sheppard still tired easily, so he was restricted to light duty, and probably would be for a while. Rodney himself had only needed to spend a couple days in the infirmary - not counting all the time he'd spent with Ronon and Teyla, keeping Sheppard company - and all he had now was a new scar on his leg and a limp that was almost gone. He and Sheppard had both undergone a battery of neurological tests as well, and though they were probably minus a few brain cells due to lack of sufficient oxygen, they'd passed the tests with flying colors - much to their relief.

Still, when Jennifer had given them the all-clear and Sam had brought up the dinner, Rodney had suggested they say thanks, but no thanks. Sam, though, had reluctantly pointed out that it might be considered an insult if they didn't attend, and Sheppard had agreed.

So, Rodney now found himself back on Itharia, sitting next to Sheppard at the front of Perfect Varrin's dining hall, trying not to think about how close they were to Amirelle's lab.

Or, what was left of it, anyway.

The Itharians had shut down the EM generator for a few hours so that Atlantis could use their equipment to find the exact location of the Ancient outpost. After figuring out how to access it, Zelenka and Lorne had gone in with two teams of Marines to make sure that Amirelle wouldn't be coming back. Rodney still would have preferred dropping a couple of nuclear warheads, but since the outpost was directly under the city, the Itharians probably wouldn't have gone for that. But, Lorne and the Marines had done the next best thing. They'd moved from room to room, leaving the structure intact, while destroying everything electronic, until, as Radek had said, all that remained was scrap metal.

But, still, who could say for sure that there wasn't another crazy Ancient skulking around somewhere?

That cheerful thought was not making the dinner an enjoyable experience for Rodney - that and the fact that the Itharians, with their obsessive need for perfection, apparently expected formal etiquette at a formal dinner. Go figure. Their rules of etiquette were actually very close to classical etiquette on Earth, something that, of course, _fascinated_ Atlantis's cultural anthropologists. They already had a dozen theories about how it was possible that etiquette could be almost identical in two different galaxies.

Rodney didn't care _how_ it was possible, he just wanted to eat the rest of his meal without worrying that the Itharians would change their minds about letting them access the data on the generator, just because he didn't know which spoon to use with his soup.

And the soup looked really good, too.

Rodney sighed, and took another drink of Itharian wine, scowling at the many pieces of silverware laying around his plate as he tried to decide which one to pick up.

He'd been to these kinds of dinners on Earth before - plenty of them, actually - he'd even been the main speaker at several, in fact (before the majority of his work had been classified). He'd just been so busy dazzling people with his intellect that he'd never learned the particulars of formal dining.

Why did it matter which spoon he used, anyway? The two spoons infront of him were essentially the same, made of the same type of metal (possibly the same type the Genii used in their weapons manufacture, which was a vaguely disturbing thought) with just slight variations in size and shape. If anyone noticed that he was using the wrong spoon, they were paying _entirely_ too much attention to his eating habits, because really, he-

Sheppard nudged him under the table with his elbow, and Rodney turned to him in annoyance.

"It's the one on the right," Sheppard offered.

"What?"

"If you're looking for the soup spoon, it's the one on the right."

Rodney frowned. "How do you know that?" he demanded.

Sheppard took another bite from his own plate, chewed, swallowed, then pointed with his free hand, "Salad fork, dinner fork, dessert fork," he pointed to the right side of the plate, "dinner knife, tea spoon, soup spoon."

Rodney stared at him incredulously, and Sheppard shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "My dad made me and Dave take etiquette lessons when we were kids."

Rodney blinked. "Really?"

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah. We went to a lot of formal dinners growing up - business dinners and that kind of thing. I think Dad was afraid we'd embarrass him. Never figured it would come in handy now."

Rodney tried to imagine Sheppard attending formal dinners, and just kept picturing a bored kid in a suit, trying to remember not to put his elbows on the table. Then again, being Sheppard, he'd probably put his elbows on the table anyway.

He'd never really thought about that before - how different Sheppard's life must have been because his family was rich. Sure, there were perks - probably a lot of perks, but he was starting to see why Sheppard might have been anxious to leave, too.

Silence fell again, now that Rodney wasn't worried about causing a diplomatic incident, and could enjoy his meal. Say whatever you wanted to about the Itharians, but they knew how to cook. He shifted in his seat and winced when his leg gave a small twinge, reminding him that it wasn't completely healed.

Of course, Sheppard noticed. "You okay?"

Now it was Rodney's turn to shrug. "I'm fine." He froze as he realized what he'd just said, and turned to glare at Sheppard. "See? I told you, now you've got me doing it! It's contagious or something!"

Sheppard raised an eyebrow, confused. "Doing what?"

Oh, right. Sheppard had been unconscious for that part.

Rodney sighed. "Never mind. Just something I said when you were…you know," he waved a hand in Sheppard's direction.

Sheppard blinked. "Oh." He grimaced a little, and looked down at his soup. "Yeah, about that…sorry if I worried you."

_You should be! _a part of Rodney wanted to retort. But it was hardly Sheppard's fault that Amirelle had decided to use him as a bargaining chip, or that Keller had needed to put him in a medically induced coma, and even if he was frustrated with Sheppard's self-sacrificing tendencies, he just wouldn't be…well, _Sheppard_, without them.

"And, uh," Sheppard continued awkwardly, "thanks. For getting me out of there, I mean."

Now it was Rodney's turn to shrug uneasily. "You're welcome."

Hoping to give them both a break from the awkwardness, Rodney had another spoonful of his soup, and glanced around the room. It was almost completely full, with Atlantis personnel and Itharian high society taking up almost every seat. Ronon was a few chairs away with Teyla, who had been cleared to come too, since this was a peaceful contact, and not an official mission. Sam was at the head of the table, talking to Perfect Varrin, and to Rodney's left, Edison had actually managed to start a conversation with the Chief of Security, even if all that Jaris was doing was nodding seriously every few minutes.

"So," Sheppard said at last, drawing Rodney's attention once more, "I guess you got what you wanted." At Rodney's confused look, he clarified, "Getting kidnapped by a hot alien."

Rodney's look turned into a grimace when he remembered his comments after Sheppard had been kidnapped by Larrin a few months earlier. "Oh, that." He cleared his throat. "It's…uh, not all it's cracked up to be," he admitted.

Sheppard snorted. "Tell me about it."

Rodney frowned thoughtfully, remembering Amirelle the first time he'd seen her, before he'd realized that she was a computerized psychopath. That form-fitting teal dress, and those curves… "She really was hot, though," he added.

Sheppard nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she was."

"But, then again," Rodney continued, still frowning, "she was a hologram. She could make herself look however she wanted to. She probably didn't look anything like that when she was alive. So really, this doesn't count."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're hoping to get kidnapped by someone else?"

"No!" Rodney retorted immediately, glaring when Sheppard smirked. "No. I've filled my kidnapping quota for a while, thank you." There was a beat of silence. "But, you know what I could really use? A vacation. I've got months of vacation time saved up." He glanced sideways at Sheppard, his expression turning hopeful. "I hear your family has a beach house in Malibu…any chance I could, you know, borrow it?"

Sheppard snorted and rolled his eyes. "No, Rodney."

"Aw, come on! It's not like you're planning on using it!"

"No, but my brother might be, and I'm not gonna ask him about it."

"But-"

"No."

"But-"

"You know, this is why I didn't tell you that my family was rich."

"That's not what you said before!"

"Well, I lied."

"I don't believe you."

"Too bad."

"Come on, Sheppard, seriously. Just for a month."

"No."

"I saved your life, remember? How 'bout a couple weeks?"

"No!"

"A few days?"

"No, Rodney!"

Their argument continued on and off for the rest of the evening, but Rodney couldn't help thinking that the dinner hadn't turned out to be so bad after all.

Besides, he wasn't giving up.

"Well, if I can't use the beach house, what about those cars of yours?"

"Rodney!"

**Fin**

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><p>AN: Again, thank you for reading! If you like the way I write Rodney, you might want to check out some of my other Rodney fics: "Life's Melody," a character study, "The Last Chance," a drabble for alt/future!Mckay from the episode, "The Last Man," and "Burdens of Conscience," an AU horror fic (warning on that last one though, it is fairly dark and involves character death). If you read them, I hope you enjoy them!

Take care and God bless!

Ani-maniac494 :)


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